What to Do When Someone Dies: A Free Printable Checklist
Everything on this page is free, immediately downloadable, and requires no email or account. It's a condensed reference, not a replacement for the judgment of a probate attorney if the estate is complicated.
No email required. Nothing you do on this page is tracked.
First 24–48 hours
- Get a legal pronouncement of death, if it didn't happen in a hospital or under hospice care
- Notify immediate family and close friends
- Arrange care for any dependents or pets
- Secure the home and property
- Locate the will, if you know where it's kept
First week
- Order 10–15 certified copies of the death certificate
- Contact a funeral home
- Notify the employer, if applicable
- Locate key documents: will, insurance policies, deeds, account statements
- Don't rush to notify banks before you've gathered account details, this can trigger a freeze that also stops autopay
First few weeks
- Contact a probate or estate attorney if the estate is anything but simple
- Confirm Social Security has been notified (often the funeral home handles this)
- File life insurance claims
- Update or cancel other insurance policies (auto, home)
- Redirect mail
- Cancel subscriptions and memberships
- Notify financial institutions once you're organized, not before
Ongoing
- Keep records of all correspondence and payments related to the estate
- Check whether a final tax return is required
- Close or transfer digital accounts, using password manager access if it exists
This checklist tells you what to do. Keystone Binder helps you get the underlying information (accounts, contacts, insurance, legal documents) organized ahead of time, so whoever handles this isn't starting from zero.
Build your free binder previewHave questions about what happens right after? See What NOT to Do When a Parent Dies and Should You Tell the Bank Right Away.
Watching a house or pet for someone instead? Free sitter instructions template.