What to Do If a Death Occurs

Obtain Death Certificate

The death will need to be legally confirmed by a medical professional or other person of authority. If the death occurred in a hospice or hospital, a nurse or doctor can confirm it and fill out the necessary paperwork. If the death occurred at home, call 911 and have them taken to a hospital or funeral home to confirm the death. This is necessary for you to obtain the death certificate.

You can obtain the death certificate from a funeral home or medical examiner. This will allow you to proceed with funeral arrangements, financial arrangements, and other legal matters.

Notify Necessary Parties

These may include:

• Relatives
• Friends
• Funeral Director
• Cemetery
• Priest, Rabbi, Minister, or Other
• Employers
• Unions or Fraternal Organizations
• Newspapers

To do this, you may send a group text or email, make phone calls, or post an announcement on your social media pages. If you have access to your loved one’s social media, you can post there too.

You will need to contact:

• Social Security Office
• Banks or Other Financial Institutions
• Insurance Companies

Locate Important Documents

These may include:

• Will and/or Trust
• Insurance Policies
• Deed and Mortgage for Home
• Titles for Automobiles
• Safety Deposit Box
• Completed Planning Guide (if applicable)

Determine Funeral Arrangements

If you do not already know, talk to family members to determine if your loved one had a pre-paid funeral plan in place. If they did not, you may need to plan for:

• Time and Place of Service (if applicable)
• Type of Service (if applicable)
  • Viewing, open or closed casket, veteran service, etc.
• Cremation or Traditional Burial
• Casket/Vault
• Memorial
  • I.e. what the headstone will look like
• Clothing
• Flowers
• Music
• Food

Want more information on what a pre-planned funeral looks like? Read more about our unique pre-planning options or contact us today.

Other Important Tasks

In addition to the above, you may need to complete all or some of the following:

• Settle the Estate
• Forward Mail
• Determine Employer or Veteran Death Benefits
• Pay Outstanding Bills
• Close Accounts
• Cancel Credit Cards
• Cancel Driver’s License
• Care for Children or Pets
• Secure Assets
  • Ensure home(s) and car(s) are locked.

Handling these tasks can feel overwhelming. Let us help guide you through every step of the process. Contact us to talk to one of our live representatives and get your questions answered today.