There is nothing more difficult than when someone close to you passes away. It doesn’t matter if it was a long time coming or if it was sudden, death is hardest on those left behind. There are a lot of things that the surviving family have to consider and sort out when they lose someone. There are funeral plans to make, notifications to do, family and friends to talk to, and they have to start their own grieving process.

Death is complicated. Even if the initial death is simple, the things that have to be done are complex afterwards. The things that need to be finished once someone dies are urgent, from the packing of the house to when you need to Hire an Estate Sale Company to sell the estate. There is a specific order to doing things, too, so having the right legal help on your side will make a difference. With this in mind, here are four things that you have to do after a loved one passes away.

Sort The Death Certificate

This is the first thing to do when someone you love has been properly confirmed to have died. You need to get more than one copy of the death certificate as this will be evidence when you approach someone to cancel utilities, etc. Some funeral homes allow you to request the death certificate through them. You’ll need a copy for the bank, the probate lawyer and any creditors to see. Sometimes, you get charged per copy of the certificate but it really depends on where you are.

Speak To A Lawyer

There is every chance that your loved one has a will and an estate to sort through, but this isn’t something that you can do alone. You need to contact the executor or the lawyer who is holding their will. They will be the ones who carry out all of the final wishes of the deceased, and you need to ensure that you are present for that. If the person has died and didn’t have a will in place, it’s important to note that any property transferred at death is under state law. Probate is a long and difficult process, so why not look at getting some help?

Call Financial Institutions

Death certificate receipt means that you can then contact insurance companies, banks and any other financial institutions where money is being held. This will ensure that you have a plan to extract any policies and divide any assets necessary that are included in the will. As well as these, you need to speak to any savings and investment companies out there that the deceased may have had accounts with. Companies freeze accounts when they’re notified of a death, and this is where you have to ensure that there is no hardship caused for your family while you await any money to be transferred. Speak to their mortgage company, loan providers and any other creditors, too. Of course, if the person who has passed away was married, their partner will be talking to all of these companies. Knowing who is in charge of making these difficult calls is important. Identity theft after death is a very real risk, so make sure that you talk to credit bureaus, too.

Contact Utilities

From cell phone providers to electrical companies, calling utilities is so important. Look over their credit card or bank statements and see if there are any companies that they pay regularly. This can include any memberships to the gym or country clubs, home security systems and any other providers that they pay regularly.

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