Dating : Three-Tier After-Death Checklist To Manage A Death

What to do with the assets and how to manage them? What needs to do immediately and in a phased manner? These questions are crucial, but the answers depend mostly upon the the geography. Although, feelings and concerns are same anywhere everywhere.

I would like you to make a checklist of those concerns. This checklist has several aspects of managing the death affairs apart from the deceased’s post-death rites and rituals.

Because every death is governed by some legal and digital entities, each end of life needs to be seen in a two-fold way; closing of a chapter of this legality and opening of a chapter of legacy.

Because these all aspects cannot be segregated in a timeline manner, I split these two aspects of the multi-fold issues under three broad components. You will realize that every step you take or the choice you make during the management of a death affair will impact people’s lives so deeply that you probably cannot foresee at that time.

So, here are the channels and stages; you will have to pass through. I have counted each point that demands a response from the near and dear ones.

For every person and in every case or at every geography, these steps will be distinct as we know, but these will be more or less the same.

If Death is Expected — Call your doctor or hospice agency.

If a Death is Unexpected — Inform the authorities/police. They will help you figure out the next steps.

If a Death Happens at Home and is Normal — Plan the funeral.

If a Death Happens at the Hospital — Talk to the hospital staff about the process. Then only proceed to the funeral.

Inform the Family — Contact close family and friends of the deceased if not there

Look for — The papers/persons, if the deceased named someone or left instructions for the arrangements for a funeral.

Contact — Lawyer, power of attorney, accountant, doctor or professionals dealing with the deceased

Search- Records of the deceased’s desire to donate organs/tissue, if yes, pass this information ASAP on to the doctor

Notification of Death — Inform the local civic authority or the department of health about the person’s death soon

Collect Death Certificate — Order at least five certified copies. This certificate is needed for the transfer of ownership of the assets and property.

Notify — The deceased’s landlord, rental agency or office

Find and Collect — All the documents left by the deceased as soon as the funeral ends. Ask close family, friends or the lawyer if they know about it.

Safety Deposit Box — Check who is the legal heir for the opening of the safety box. Banks can seal those in some of the cases. Important documents such as a Will and “Final Instructions” letter might be in the safe box. If no one is available for that, check it with concerned civil authorities.

Find out the Will — Notify the executor named in the Will immediately. The executor will take care of following the terms of the Will.

If There is No Effective Will — If it merely does not exist, not correctly signed or lost, the local country laws will govern the assets and property transfer claims.

Check for — Deeds, Titles and Promissory Notes, Loan documents, Insurance Policies, Financial Accounts

Collect — Legal Papers, Identity records like birth and marriage certificates, citizenship or immigration papers, passport, driving license, service papers and other national identities

Personal Documents/Information — Passcodes to access computers, emails and social media accounts, financial records, cell phones

Inform Government Authorities — Social and civic authorities, agencies, departments where the person was a member

Bank Accounts — Legal heir to inform the bank and follow the process further. If you held a joint bank account with the deceased, notify the bank or financial institutions or credit card companies. In most cases, a power of attorney will end with the death unless listed in the deceased’s Will or expressly recorded.

Utility Bills — Prepare a list of all, if unpaid, handover to the person who is authorized after the deceased.

Taking Care of the Assets & Pets — Legal heir to take care of the deceased’s home, property and pets

Email Accounts — Keep all email accounts open until every government or private correspondence (including bank statements, etc.) is completed. Banks, social media, digital platforms might only be accessible through email accounts. Also, username and password of online accounts will only work when you have the email access.

Insurance Claims — Contact all insurance companies listed or maintained by the deceased in his/her records.

Pensions and Benefits — Contact the deceased’s employer or agency if you are the beneficiary and ask about death benefits, annuity or retirement plans. Everything related to life and health insurance deceased had. Ask for compensation benefits if an injury or illness caused the death.