Guide · First two weeks
The first week after a death
A calm day-by-day plan for the first seven days. Pronouncement, certificates, funeral home, and securing the home and accounts.
In the first 24 hours, get a legal pronouncement and contact the funeral home. Days two and three, notify close family and the employer. Days four to seven, order ten certified death certificates, secure the home and pets, locate the will, and freeze unattended accounts to prevent identity theft.
Step by step
Day 1: pronouncement and funeral home
If the death is at home without hospice, call 911. Otherwise, hospice or the hospital handles pronouncement. Then call a funeral home to arrange transport.
Day 2: close family and employer
Notify immediate family, the employer, and the religious community if relevant. The employer often coordinates the first benefits paperwork.
Day 3: order certificates
Ask the funeral home to order at least ten certified death certificates from the state vital records office.
Days 4 to 5: secure the home
Change a lock, forward the mail, feed pets, and store valuables in one room. Photograph each room before anything moves.
Day 6: locate the will
Check the home safe, the attorney files, and the bank safe deposit box. Many counties also keep deposited wills.
Day 7: freeze unattended accounts
Place a temporary hold on the checking account and notify the credit bureaus, the two highest-risk identity theft vectors after death.
Common questions
Do I need to do anything legally on day one?
Not usually. Pronouncement of death and contacting a funeral home are the only required first-day actions in most states.
When should probate open?
Not in the first week. Probate typically opens in weeks two through four, once the death certificate is in hand and the will is located.