Within the First Week:
-
Determine whether any of decedent’s (decedent = deceased person) property needs to be safeguarded, such as a home, vehicle, vacation house, office, etc.
-
Ensure that proper funeral/cremation arrangements have been made.
-
Look for any letters of instruction/final wishes – our clients are typically given a “Memorial Instructions” worksheet, located in their estate planning binder, where they may have outlined their desires.
-
Look for any pre-paid burial/cremation documents/policies; contact the company prior to making arrangements, if applicable
-
The Funeral Home should notify the Social Security Administration of the decedent’s passing.
-
The Funeral Home will aid in ordering Death Certificates from the appropriate government department. Original Death Certificates will be needed to transfer title on assets, obtain access to bank accounts, etc. Order a death certificate for each type of asset/debt known- i.e., if the decedent had accounts at 4 different institutions, and two properties, order at least 6 -10 copies).
-
We usually recommend ordering 20 copies, unless the decedent’s estate was relatively small/comprised of few asset types.
-
-
Gather Retirement Account (i.e. 401(k), IRA) information & claim forms
-
Eventually, you’ll most likely want to:
-
Contact creditors demanding immediate payment and notify of death.
-
Notify credit card companies of death.
-
Cancel credit cards on which the decedent was the only signer. Also cancel all charge accounts as soon as possible after death.
-
-
-
Start drafting an obituary, if desired.
-
In all published obituaries, do not list the day and month of birth (to limit possible identity theft issues).
-
Contact the decedent’s relatives, friends, & other loved ones to invite them to the service, if applicable.
-
Depending on home location, consider hiring security or off-duty police to watch the decedent’s house while the family is at the funeral/memorial service (especially if the obituary or notice of death was posted online/in social media, to avoid potential burglaries).
-
Ask a trusted neighbor to gather the decedent’s mail, if you’re unable to, and hold for pickup.
Within Two Weeks to One Month:
-
Locate the decedent’s estate planning documents (if prepared by Phillips Ballenger, PLLC, these should be in a grey, 3-ring binder, with the Phillips Ballenger logo on the front). If the originals are not found, please contact our office.
-
Ensure that the proper decision makers nominated in the decedent’s estate plan (trust/will) have been contacted and forward the estate planning documents to them to read & review.
-
Look for any other letters of instruction, or other end of life final wishes.
-
Locate & secure any important records: account statements, titles, deeds and life insurance policies, identification, birth/marriage/death certificates, etc.
-
Gather and organize financial documents/asset information, including:
-
Bank accounts owned by decedent.
-
Mutual funds owned by decedent.
-
Brokerage accounts owned by decedent.
-
Certificates of Deposit in decedent’s name.
-
Stock Certificates registered in decedent’s name.
-
Any promissory notes under which decedent was entitled to receive payment.
-
Titles
-