What to Do After a Death
If you’ve been appointed an executor of a loved one’s estate, or a successor trustee, and that person dies, your grief – not to mention your death to do list, could be long. With tasks ranging from planning the funeral, to coordinating relatives coming in from out of town and (eventually) meeting with a trust administration or probate attorney – can be quite overwhelming. First and foremost, take care of yourself during this emotional time.
Deadlines after Death To Do
To help you with the “business” end of things, here is a quick checklist of crucial details that will make your trip to an estate attorney’s office as easy as possible. We know you could be struggling. But some of these things-to-do have a deadline.
After Death “To Do” List
- Call a funeral home. We recommend Foothill Funeral & Cremation Services, which is in Glendora, California.
- Secure the deceased’s personal property (vehicle, home, business, etc.).
Notify the post office.- If the deceased wrote an ethical will, share it with appropriate parties in a venue set aside for the occasion. You may even want to print the will and make copies.
- Secure copies of the death certificate. Your funeral home director can help with this. You’ll need them for some upcoming tasks.
- Notify the Social Security office.
- Take care of any Medicare and/or Medi-Cal details.
- Contact the deceased’s employer to find out about benefits dispensation.
- Stop health insurance and notify relevant insurance companies. Terminate any applicable policies. You may not be able to cancel the policies until after you have “formally” taken over the estate. But you can often get the necessary paperwork started before that time.
- Get ready to meet with a qualified probate and trust administration attorney.
- Depending on the circumstances, probate may be necessary. Even if a probate is unnecessary, work must be done to administer the trust properly.
Here’s what to gather:
- The deceased’s will and trust. If the original of the deceased’s will or trust cannot be located, contact our office as soon as possible and bring any copies you have.
- A list of the deceased’s bills and debts. Or, you could bring statements or even the actual credit cards to our office rather than trying to compile an official list.
- A list of the deceased’s financial advisors, insurance agent, tax professional, and other professional advisors.
- A list of the deceased’s surviving family members, including contact information, if possible.
- Cancel driver’s licenses, passports, voter’s registration, and club memberships.
- Close out email and social media accounts, and shut down websites no longer needed. Depending on circumstances, to take these steps, you may need to wait until you’ve “formally” taken over the estate, but you can often learn the procedures and be ready to act.
Key Takeaways To Do
- Seek professional counsel to avoid even the appearance of impropriety in an estate.
- Errors of omission and accident can be costly – even if intent was good.
- An executor who hastily makes distributions from an estate can get into serious trouble.
- An executor’s personal assets could wind up at risk if his or her actions cause an estate to become insolvent.
- Even if you’re well organized and knowledgeable about probate and estate law, you will find that it is difficult to anticipate everything that could go wrong.
We’re here to help you steer clear of the obstacles and free you to focus on yourself and your family during this difficult time. Contact us for assistance. We can help you manage estate and trust-related concerns, manage probate (if necessary) and you towards other useful resources.
About Skvarna Law Firm
Skvarna Law Firm operates 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, Montclair, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Colton, Rialto, Chino, Chino Hills, Glendora, Claremont, Pomona, La Verne, San Dimas, Azusa, Covina, West Covina, Diamond Bar, Walnut, La Puente, Corona, Norco & Mira Loma. Visit SkvarnaLaw.com to learn more.
