Resources / Emergencies and after a death

What to do when someone dies: a step-by-step checklist

The first days after a death are a blur. This is a calm, ordered list of what actually needs doing, and what can wait. You do not have to do it alone or all at once.

The first days

  • Get a legal pronouncement of death
  • Tell close family and friends
  • Arrange care for dependents and pets
  • Secure the home
  • Find the will and any funeral wishes

The first weeks

  • Order 10+ certified death certificates
  • Contact the funeral home or arrange services
  • Notify Social Security
  • Notify the employer and any pension
  • Locate life insurance policies

Accounts and money

  • Notify banks and credit card companies
  • Contact the estate attorney or begin probate
  • Stop or redirect the mail
  • Cancel subscriptions and memberships
  • Notify the credit bureaus

Later, when you are ready

  • File a final tax return
  • Close or memorialize online accounts
  • Transfer titles and deeds
  • Update your own beneficiaries and documents

Order more death certificates than you think. Many banks, insurers, and agencies each want their own certified original. Ten copies is a common, safe number, and it is easier to order them up front than one at a time.

Printed and kept where you will see it, this does its job. If you would rather it live somewhere your whole family can reach, that is what MyLifePapers is for.

Common questions

How many death certificates do I actually need?

Most families need somewhere between eight and twelve certified copies. Each bank, insurer, brokerage, and government agency typically wants its own original. Ordering ten at once is a safe default and cheaper than requesting them one at a time later.

What genuinely has to happen first?

Only a few things are urgent: the legal pronouncement of death, care for any dependents and pets, and securing the home. Almost everything else, including accounts, probate, and paperwork, can wait days or weeks. Give yourself permission to pace it.

Written for families, not lawyers. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

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