After a death: a checklist for the family
If someone you love has just died, take a breath. If the death was unexpected, call 911. If hospice was caring for them, call the hospice nurse. After that, call the funeral home; for Inglewood Cemetery Mortuary, that number is 310-412-6811. The rest of this list can wait until tomorrow.
The first few days
- Call the funeral home and mention any existing plan. It answers most of their questions for you.
- Tell close family, and ask one steady person to help you make calls.
- Let Social Security know if the funeral home has not, and notify the person's employer.
- Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs if your loved one served.
The first week or two
- Order several certified death certificates; banks, insurers and agencies will each want one.
- Start any life insurance or annuity claims.
- Set up mail forwarding with the post office.
- Notify auto, home and health insurers, Medicare, pension plans, banks and credit card companies.
- If there is property to settle, talk with a probate or estate attorney.
The first month or two
- Choose the grave marker and finalize the engraving.
- Send thank-you notes when you have the energy.
- Let doctors and any financial professionals know.
- Pay or stop recurring bills: utilities, phone, internet, rent, memberships and subscriptions.
- Ask Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to flag the credit file to help prevent identity theft.
- Close email accounts and close or memorialize social media.
- Transfer the house and car titles, and cancel the driver's license.
- Review accounts where your loved one was named as a beneficiary.
Within the year
- File the final income tax return.
- Let the county elections office know.
- When you feel ready, think about your own plan. People who have just carried a family through a loss often say they want to spare their children the same. How pre-planning works.
Grief support
Grief keeps its own calendar. Janie can share free booklets on losing a spouse, losing a child, losing a parent, helping children and teens through grief, and getting through the holidays. Ask for a booklet and choose "Grief support booklets" on the form.
This list is general information, not legal or tax advice. An attorney or tax preparer can tell you what applies to your family.