Resources

You can’t do it alone. Settling a deceased family member’s affairs is not a one-person task. You’ll need the help of others, ranging from professionals like lawyers or CPAs, who can advise you on financial matters, to a network of friends and relatives, to whom you can delegate tasks or on whom you can lean for emotional support. You may take the lead in planning the funeral and then hand off the financial details to the executor. Or you may be the executor, which means you’ll oversee settling the estate and spend months, maybe even years, dealing with paperwork.

To marshal the right help, you’ll need a checklist (see below) of all the things that need to be done, ranging from writing a thank-you note for flowers sent to the funeral to seeing a will through probate.

To do Immediately After Somone Dies

• Get a legal pronouncement of death.
• Tell friends and family.
• Find out about existing funeral and burial plans.

Contact CPC for a packet of materials which will guide you through the weeks and months ahead.