Losing a parent can be one of the most impactful events in our lives, and all the necessary tasks that come afterward can be daunting, even overwhelming. But you can work through everything, one step at a time, with a little guidance from the attorneys at Erwin Law. Here’s a timeline of the tasks you might reasonably expect to do:
First Day:
• Get a legal declaration of death. If at home, call 911 or hospice; if in a hospital, staff will do this.
• Contact a funeral home or mortuary to handle the body according to your parent’s wishes.
• Arrange for the care of any dependents or pets as soon as possible.
First Week:
• Notify family and friends.
• Secure your parent’s home to avoid attracting unwanted attention. Remove perishables and garbage, but don’t rush to clear out the home too quickly or give away/sell assets without legal counsel.
• Arrange for mail to be collected and voice messages monitored.
• If your parent was in the military, contact the Veterans Administration to see if it offers burial benefits or funeral services (may include a military salute at the funeral or payment for a headstone).
• Arrange for the funeral or other final plans. Get help—ask relatives and friends to assist with writing an obituary, delivering eulogies, acting as pallbearers, planning the post-funeral gathering, writing thank-you notes, and so forth.
• Order 10-12 copies of the death certificate (needed to close accounts, file insurance and other beneficiary claims, etc.).
First Month:
• Gather documents, including their original Will and/or Trust, copies of bank and retirement account statements, recent income tax returns, loan documents, life insurance policies, and ongoing bills.
• Make an inventory of all assets and debts.
• Once you have the documents an dinventory mentioned above, consult with an estate planning attorney to determine whether probate will be needed.
• Notify banks, credit cards, and Social Security (at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local SSA office—this helps prevent identity theft).
• Notify credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—also reduces identity theft).
• Cancel subscriptions, deliveries, streaming services, AAA, gym memberships, and the like.
• Access safe deposit box, if any.
• Contact your parent’s employer about any retirement, profit-sharing, or other workplace savings plans, and find out how benefits are distributed. Under federal COBRA regulations, a surviving spouse or child may be able to continue coverage with an existing health insurance policy. If your parent has a surviving spouse age 65 or older, they might be entitled to some Medicare benefits.
• If your parent will be buried in a cemetery, find out how the cemetery is maintained—some smaller rural cemeteries depend on family members to maintain the grounds and graves.
First Few Months:
• If a probate is required, hire an estate planning attorney, and get officially appointed as Executor or Administrator by the court. You will work together with the attorney to administer your parent’s estate.
• Maintain and care for assets (pay taxes and ongoing bills, house and yard maintenance until property is sold, etc.). You may want to consider holding an estate sale and cleaning/making repairs to the house to prepare it for a sale, if necessary.
• Pay off any debts using estate assets. Many creditors will accept a reduced settlement amount, so don’t be hesitant to negotiate.
• Contact and collect any life insurance policies, 401(k)s, IRAs, pensions, or annuities. Ask the provider of any IRA your parent owned to find out if any Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) should be withdrawn. If you’re the beneficiary of the IRA, talk with an attorney or tax advisor to determine how best to proceed.
• Close bank accounts and other accounts.
• Transfer title to vehicles by contacting the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for Title and Registration change forms, and then cancel auto insurance policies.
• Frequent-flyer/buyer points: Contact the company and see if these can be transferred to a beneficiary or family member.
• Delete or memorialize social media accounts.
Remember above all, you will be grieving, and should give yourself the grace to process whatever emotions you’re feeling as the days and weeks pass. Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed by the tasks in front of you—reach out to the compassionate and knowledgeable attorneys at Erwin Law for help and support throughout this process.
