 |
|
|
|
Checklist:
Things To Do When a Person Dies
- Find and review Decedent’s expressed funeral
and burial wishes.
- Plan and arrange for funeral.
- Work with funeral
director to order death certificates.
- Evaluate need for security
at Decedent’s residence
- Cancel or rearrange home deliveries
- Have Post Office hold
or forward mail
- Find perishable property (food, plants, etc.),
arrange for care or disposal
- Notify agent under any power
of attorney
- Prepare and arrange for obituary
- Arrange for mortuary, cemetery,
burial, cremation, as appropriate
- Keep records of all payments
for funeral and other expenses
- Locate safe deposit box(es)
- Locate wills, codicils, trusts
- Locate life insurance policies
- Locate other important documents,
accounts, investments, etc.
- Advise Social Security, Medicaid,
other agencies as appropriate (creditors, utilities, homeowner’s
insurance, car insurance)
- Investigate
social security benefits
- Investigate life insurance
- Investigate union death benefits
- Investigate veterans burial
allowance and other benefits
- Investigate employee benefits,
including accrued vacation pay, death benefits, final wages,
retirement plans, deferred compensation, medical reimbursements
- Investigate
refunds on insurance or canceled subscriptions
- Investigate
Keogh and IRA accounts
- Investigate business, partnership and
investment arrangements
- Retain and meet with attorney regarding
estate matters
- Retain
and meet with CPA as to tax and accounting matters
- Meet with
life insurance agent to collect proceeds or consider options
- Deal
with fire, theft, liability and auto insurance on Decedent’s
property
- Work with attorney and CPA to prepare inventory,
list of accounts and list of debts
- Review credit cards and
charge accounts, cancel as appropriate
- DO NOT pay any of Decedent’s
debts until attorney discusses with family or executor
- Obtain
valuations of assets, as appropriate
- If Trust is involved,
arrange for any allocations and transfers
- Arrange for final
income tax return and estate tax return, as necessary
|
|
|
