After my father passed away suddenly, my mother, siblings and I all struggled with planning his funeral. We were already in a state of shock and sorrow, and then we were overwhelmed with the options and decisions we had to make in regards to the funeral. Luckily for us, we worked with an amazing funeral home and funeral director who helped guide us through the process. I know how hard it is to plan a funeral and how many decisions need to be made. This website was created in order to give families preparing to lay a loved one to rest a guide of sorts that will help them determine what decisions will need to be made and information about those decisions. I extend my sympathies to you if you are in this position and hope my website helps to make things a little bit easier for you.
When a family member or loved one dies it can throw your whole world into chaos as you deal with their affairs while grieving. There are many things that need to be done when someone dies that can be easily overlooked. Here is a simple checklist of things you need to do after a family member or loved one passes away.
Get A Death Certificate & Transport The Body
After a person passes away, you will need a medical professional to legally declare the person deceased. If the person dies at home, call emergency services and have them send paramedics. Once the person has been pronounced legally dead, you will have to make arrangements for the funeral home to pick up the body and transport it back to their facility. The funeral home will also have copies of the death certificate, which you will need in order to gain access to any financial institution or government agencies in the deceased's name.
Make The Necessary Notifications
Once you have obtained a death certificate, you will have to notify anyone that might not know the person has passed. This will include places of employment, doctors, lawyers and any financial institutions that were dealing with the deceased. You will also need to notify any services that the deceased has in their name -- like cable services, cell phone or telephone companies, credit card companies, or banks. This will let them know that the services need to be cancelled and that they cannot continue to bill the person any longer.
Carry Out The Wishes In The Will
Check for a last will and testament. A will is a legal document that will dictate exactly what is to happen to their finances, property, and assets after they die. The will should name an executor that is in charge of carrying out the instructions and dealing directly one-on-one with the lawyer to get the deceased's affairs in order. The will should specify exactly how money is to be allocated and to who -- if there is anything left after paying for the funeral expenses.
Following the tips outlined above will help you get some of the important things out of the way so that you can grieve over the loss of the deceased. If you find yourself struggling to deal with the affairs of the deceased, you can consult with a local funeral home in your area that can help to make sure that nothing gets overlooked in the chaos of planning a funeral.
Share19 May 2015
