What to Do When Someone Dies

In the first hours

Almost nothing about money or paperwork has to happen today. In the first hours, the goal is to get the right people involved and to look after the people and pets who are still here.

• If the person was under hospice care, call the hospice. If they died in a hospital or care facility, the staff will tell you what happens next.
• If the death was sudden or unexpected and no medical professional is there, call 911.
• When you are ready, contact a funeral home or crematory. They can usually guide you through the next steps.
• Tell close family and friends. It can help to ask one person to pass the news along for you.
• Make sure any dependents, pets, and the home itself are looked after.

In the first few days

These are the first practical steps. You do not have to do them alone, and it is fine to ask a relative or friend to take some of them.

• Plan the funeral or memorial. In most states you are not legally required to use a funeral home, and funeral homes must give you an itemized price list when you ask about prices.
• Ask the funeral home to help you order certified copies of the death certificate. Banks, insurers, and government agencies often each want one, so many families order more than they expect to need.
• Look for a will, trust documents, and any note naming an executor or personal representative.
• Find out whether the funeral home will report the death to Social Security. They generally do, if you give them the person’s Social Security number. If no funeral home is involved, you can call Social Security yourself.
• Contact the person’s employer, if they worked, about final pay and benefits.

Social Security may pay a one-time $255 death payment to a surviving spouse or, in some cases, a child, and certain family members may qualify for monthly survivor benefits. Ask Social Security what applies to your family.

In the first few weeks

Once the first days have passed, the work shifts to the estate. Someone, usually an executor named in the will or a person appointed by the court, is responsible for handling it. Rules vary by state.

• Find out who the executor or personal representative is, and whether the estate must go through probate.
• Make a list of the banks, insurers, pension plans, credit cards, and other companies that need to be told. Ask each one what it needs before you close or change anything, because requirements differ.
• Forward the person’s mail through the U.S. Postal Service and note which bills and subscriptions arrive.
• Many checklists suggest sending a copy of the death certificate to the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to help guard against identity theft.
• Think about digital accounts: email, cloud storage, social media, and subscriptions each have their own rules.

Finding accounts you do not know about

This is the part families find hardest. If the person did not leave a list, accounts can stay hidden for years. You cannot claim, close, or transfer an account you do not know exists.

Start with the paper and digital trail they left behind. Look through mail and statements, their email inbox, old tax returns and any tax forms that report interest, dividends, or retirement distributions, wallet cards, checkbook registers, and papers from past employers. Ask the people who knew them best, including their attorney, accountant, and financial advisor if they had one.

Then search for unclaimed property. When an account goes untouched long enough, state law can require the institution to turn it over to the state. The state holds the money, and an heir or the estate’s representative can usually claim it for free. Because companies report to the state where they are located, the person may have property in several states.

• Write down every name the person used, including maiden and former names, and every state where they lived or worked.
• Search each of those states. Our unclaimed property guide walks you through the search and links to every official state program.
• Be careful with paid “finders.” Searching and claiming directly with the state is free in most states.

Debts and phone calls

Debts are generally paid from the money and property the person left behind, called the estate. If the estate cannot cover them, they usually go unpaid. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, family members generally do not have to pay a deceased person’s debts, unless they co-signed a loan or were a joint account holder. Some exceptions vary by state.

If you are the executor, you can use estate assets to settle debts, but being the executor does not make you personally responsible for them. Debt collectors can contact you to find the executor, and they are not allowed to suggest you owe the debt out of your own pocket.

Scammers also target people who are grieving, often by creating a false sense of urgency. Do not pay anyone who pressures you to act immediately. Ask for details in writing, and speak with an attorney if you are unsure.

If they used The Only Step

The Only Step lets people record the financial institutions they use and choose who can see that list. If your loved one named you, look for an email invitation from The Only Step and use the link in it. Depending on how they set things up, you may see their list right away, or after you submit a death certificate for review. If you are not sure, search your own email for “The Only Step.”

The list points to where accounts are. It does not contain account numbers or passwords, and it does not move money. See how we protect information.

Reading this to spare your own family the search? Start with our guide to getting your affairs in order.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and further reading

We wrote this guide from the public resources below. Rules differ by state and change over time, so check the official source for your situation.