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What to do after a death

The first day, the first week, the first six months. An ordered, plain-language guide. Follow the steps in sequence, then jump to your state when you reach probate.

After a death, focus on three things in order: documentation, decisions, distribution. Order ten certified death certificates in the first week, decide whether probate is needed based on what your relative owned in sole name, and only then begin transferring assets. Most estates settle in six to twelve months.

The ordered steps

  1. Within 24 hours

    Get a legal pronouncement of death. If at home without hospice, call 911. Notify close family and the funeral home.

  2. Within the first week

    Order ten to twelve certified death certificates through the funeral home or vital records office. Secure the home, mail, and any pets.

  3. Locate the will and key documents

    Look for a will, trust, life insurance policies, deed, vehicle titles, recent tax returns, and a list of online accounts.

  4. Notify the essentials

    Social Security Administration, employer, banks, mortgage lender, and any pension provider. Most ask for a certified copy of the death certificate.

  5. Decide whether probate is required

    Probate depends on what the deceased owned in sole name and your state's small estate threshold. Skip probate when assets pass by joint title, beneficiary designation, or living trust.

  6. Open probate if needed

    File in the county where the deceased lived. The court appoints an executor, who then inventories assets, pays debts, and distributes property.

  7. Close out paperwork

    Transfer titles, cancel subscriptions and credit cards, file the final tax return, and stop incoming mail.

By state

Probate, state by state

Thresholds and forms vary widely. Pick the state where your relative lived.

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