Death in the family: the 40 items
Almost none of this is urgent. Beyond caring for the body and telling close family, most of it can wait days or weeks.
Scope: United States. Deadlines vary by state, employer and plan — confirm the ones that matter.
| Document or task | Why, where, how urgent |
|---|---|
| The first days | |
| ☐ Legal pronouncement of death | Hospital or hospice staff do this; at home, call the hospice nurse or 911 |
| ☐ Choose a funeral home; tell them about any pre-arrangements | A pre-paid contract is usually with the other important papers — look before you agree to anything |
| ☐ Tell the funeral director if the person was a veteran | VA burial benefits often apply; the funeral home needs the DD-214 |
| ☐ Tell close family and friends, then the employer | |
| ☐ Find the will and any pre-arrangements | Filing cabinet, safe, safe deposit box, the attorney who drafted it, a trusted adult child’s house |
| ☐ Secure the home, pets, car and mail | Keep every envelope — bills and statements are how you discover accounts nobody knew about |
| The first two weeks | |
| ☐ Order five to ten certified death certificates through the funeral home | Banks, insurers, Social Security, the DMV and pensions nearly all want a certified copy |
| ☐ Social Security: confirm the funeral home reported the death | Benefits paid for the month of death or later generally must be returned; survivors may be eligible for benefits |
| ☐ Pension plan administrators and the VA | |
| ☐ Employer HR: final paycheck, unused vacation, group life insurance, retirement plan, continued health coverage | |
| ☐ Life insurance: one claim per policy, filed by the named beneficiary with a certified death certificate | Look for policies in the files, in premium payments on bank statements, and through the employer |
| ☐ Banks and credit cards: notify each; cancel cards held in the person’s name alone | Keep paying the mortgage, utilities and insurance on the home; the estate can reimburse later |
| ☐ Credit bureaus: send the death certificate to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion and ask for a “deceased — do not issue credit” notice | |
| ☐ Digital accounts: locate the phone passcode and any password list before the number is cancelled | |
| The first months | |
| ☐ Probate or the small-estate alternative | The court’s appointment of the executor (“letters testamentary”) is what banks want for accounts in the person’s name alone |
| ☐ The final income tax return | Gather the last few years of returns now; they map the accounts that paid interest or income |
| ☐ Retirement accounts: contact each plan with a death certificate | IRAs and 401(k)s pass by beneficiary designation, not by the will |
| ☐ Property titles | Keep homeowners insurance active and tell the insurer the house may be vacant |
| ☐ Vehicles: DMV transfer with a death certificate and the court letters or a small-estate affidavit | Keep the auto insurance going until the title changes |
| ☐ Subscriptions and everything recurring | Each incoming statement in the first two months reveals a few more |
| Documents to gather: who asks for what | |
| ☐ Certified death certificates | Banks, insurers, Social Security, DMV, pensions, county recorder · certified copies — order 5–10 |
| ☐ Will and any trust documents | Probate court, executor, estate attorney · original signed will |
| ☐ Social Security number | Funeral home, Social Security, insurers, IRS · number only |
| ☐ Birth certificate | Social Security, pensions, VA (survivor benefits) · certified copy |
| ☐ Marriage certificate | Social Security, pensions, insurers (spousal benefits) · certified copy |
| ☐ Divorce decree, if any | Pensions, Social Security (prior-spouse benefits) · certified copy |
| ☐ Military discharge papers (DD-214) | Funeral home, VA, national cemeteries · copy is usually fine; the National Archives on request |
| ☐ Life insurance policies | The insurer, for each claim · copy; the insurer has the original |
| ☐ Health, homeowners, and auto policies | Insurers, to cancel or transfer · copy |
| ☐ Bank and credit card statements | Executor, to find and settle accounts · copy |
| ☐ Investment and brokerage statements | Executor, probate court inventory · copy |
| ☐ Retirement plan and IRA statements | Plan administrator, beneficiaries · copy |
| ☐ Pension or annuity paperwork | Plan administrator · copy |
| ☐ Deeds and mortgage documents | County recorder, title company, probate court · original deed if you have it; recorded copies exist |
| ☐ Vehicle titles and registrations | DMV, buyer or new owner · original title |
| ☐ Recent tax returns (last 3–7 years) | Executor, whoever files the final return, IRS · copy |
| ☐ Safe deposit box key and contract | The bank · original key |
| ☐ Passwords, phone passcode, digital access | Executor, family · whatever exists |
| ☐ Funeral pre-arrangement or plot deed | Funeral home, cemetery · original if there is one |
| ☐ Bills, loans, and subscription notices | Executor, to settle or cancel · copy |
Copied from the scenario page: Death in the family
How to use this list
Tick each box as you find or file the document; the count at the top of the widget updates and the ticks are kept in this browser’s local storage, so the list is where you left it next time on the same device. Print gives a clean page with boxes; the .txt download gives the same 40 items with [x] marks to paste into a note or send to family.
For the reasoning behind each item — why it matters and what to keep afterwards — read the full Death in the family scenario page. The other four lists are on the document checklist page.
How to use the document checklist
- Pick the moment. Choose moving, new baby, death in the family, new job or travel from the menu. The list loads with its groups in the order the paperwork arrives.
- Tick what you have. Tap a box as you find or file each document. The count at the top updates; ticks are saved in this browser so the list is where you left it next time.
- Print or download. Print gives you a clean paper checklist with boxes. Download .txt gives you the same list as text, with [x] for ticked items.
- Read the full scenario when something is unclear. Every list links the page it was copied from, which explains why each document matters and what to keep afterwards.