Losing someone you love is one of the most difficult experiences you will have in your lifetime. It’s perfectly okay to grieve for your loved one—even when you feel like you need to be strong for others.
As you navigate through this challenging time, you may also have the job of handling your loved one’s personal and legal affairs. Settling even the simplest estates can feel overwhelming, which can be heightened with grief. To help you, we created this checklist to guide you through the steps you need to take.
Get the death certificate. You’ll need several copies to close bank/financial accounts, file a life insurance claim, and start the probate process, if needed. Contact the state or county office of vital records where the deceased lived for instructions on how to get the death certificate.