Grief and shock overwhelm someone who loses a family member or other loved one to death. The last thing most people want to consider is making phone calls or funeral arrangements. While you don’t have to do everything immediately, take a few steps after losing your loved one. We hope the following guide will help facilitate this process during a stressful and emotional time.
Religious Preferences
In the immediate minutes and hours after your loved one passes away, you do not need to do anything. It is okay to sit with your loved one for a while. Do so even if your family member died in a hospital. Let hospital staff know if you need a little time. You can also tell them about religious rituals or customs you prefer before they move your loved one’s body. It is important to give yourself time to call your pastor, priest, rabbi, or other religious advisors. Also, contact close family members or friends whose presence will be comforting.
Note: One exception is if your loved one wanted to be an organ donor. If so, notify the hospital immediately. They will take appropriate steps . If you are not sure, check your family member’s driver’s license or health care directives. Even if your loved one has signed up for organ donation in a state or national registry, consult family members. They make the final decisions once a doctor informs you that your loved one’s organs are medically suitable for donation.
Death Certificates
As soon as you can, you should obtain a legal pronouncement of death by a doctor or hospice nurse. If no one can officially pronounce death, officials can take the body to an emergency room where a doctor can make the declaration. Barring the need for further medical examination or autopsy, such a declaration enables preparation of a death certificate. Order death certificates for future reference.
Make arrangements for the body to be picked up, typically by a funeral home. If your loved one died in a hospital or nursing facility, the staff may be able to make those arrangements for you. Your loved one may have already chosen a funeral home and made funeral plans, but if not, the choice of a funeral home will be made by family members.
Dependent Children
If necessary, arrange for care for any dependent children, adults, and pets in accordance with your loved one’s will or nomination of guardian, which should address those issues. If there was no will or guardianship nomination, you may have to request that a court issue an emergency order to ensure that any children or dependent adults are properly cared for and protected.
Making Arrangements
Arrange to lock up your loved one’s house and car, and if the home will remain vacant, notify the police or the landlord to keep a closer eye on it. A friend or family could also regularly check for mail or phone messages, clean out perishable food, and water plants.
Once you’ve taken care of these initial concerns, it is time to begin the estate or trust settlement process–also called probate or trust administration. Although taking care of some aspects of administration on your own may seem simple, this process can actually be quite complex, and small mistakes can lead to a major headache down the road. It is important to contact an experienced probate and trust administration attorney to help you with the process, as well as any other legal matters that may arise during this difficult and emotional time. Contact us as soon as you can, and we will help guide you through the legal process so you and your family members can focus on moving through grief toward healing.
Pre-Planning Inquiry
Find out if your loved one made pre-arrangements for a funeral or memorial service, and if not, ask a family member or friend to help you make those arrangements. If your family member was a member of the military, let the funeral home know if you would like a military funeral and it can make those arrangements. Also, prepare an obituary and send it to the local newspaper and any other newspapers in which you would like for it to appear.
About Skvarna Law Firm in Glendora & Upland, California
A skilled attorney can assist with your estate plan. Contact us today to learn about your options (909) 608-7671. We operate offices in Glendora and Upland, California. We provide legal services for individuals living in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside Counties. This includes the cities of Upland, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Colton, Rialto, Chino, Chino Hills, Glendora, Claremont, Montclair, Pomona, La Verne, San Dimas, Azusa, Covina, West Covina, Diamond Bar, Walnut, La Puente, Corona, Norco & Mira Loma. Visit SkvarnaLaw.com to learn more.
