What to Do When Someone Dies
A clear roadmap for what comes next. This page lists the major tasks after a death, in the order most families meet them, and points to a fuller guide for each one.
Start with the first hours. Who to call and what to do right now are on the First 24 Hours checklist. Come back here when the immediate calls are made.
The major tasks after a death
Whether a spouse, a parent, or someone else has died, the work usually falls into the same stages. Some overlap, and not every family has every one.
-
Arrange care and final arrangements
Choose a funeral home or cremation provider. They take your loved one into their care, handle transportation, and explain your options. The family then decides on burial, cremation, or another arrangement, and on any service.
How to choose a funeral home → Burial vs. cremation → -
Gather documents and order death certificates
The funeral director usually files the death certificate. Families then order certified copies, which many banks, insurers, and agencies ask for.
How to get a death certificate → -
Notify and check benefits
Funeral homes generally report the death to Social Security, but the family still contacts Social Security to ask about survivor benefits. Then look for life insurance, employer benefits, and veterans benefits, and let employers and account holders know.
Social Security survivor benefits → Insurance and benefits → -
Look after the home and the people in it
Make sure children and pets are cared for and the home is secure. Belongings and bigger household decisions can wait.
Home, pets, and children → -
Handle the estate
Find the will or other documents, list assets and debts, and learn who has authority to act. Some estates go through probate; others don’t.
Estate and probate basics → -
Make room for grief
Grief and family needs affect timing, and that’s normal. Support is available whenever you want it.
Grief and support →
You don’t have to do everything at once. Start with what is time-sensitive, then work through the rest.
What can happen later
Sorting belongings, closing most accounts, and big financial decisions usually don’t need to happen in the first days. Some deadlines do exist, such as the two-year limit to apply for Social Security’s $255 death payment and, in Utah, the three-year limit to file informal probate. See what can wait.
Start here
- Immediate calls and decisions
- Funeral home and arrangements
- Death certificates
- Social Security, insurance, and benefits
- The estate
- Support for you and your family
Ready to see how these choices apply to your situation?
Your Wayfinder Plan can help organize the options you’re considering and give you a clearer picture of what to ask and compare.
Build My Wayfinder Plan- Who files the death certificate: Utah Code 26B-8-114, summarized in the Utah Vital Records dispositioner packet.
- Reporting a death and the $255 payment deadline: SSA, What to do when someone dies; Lump-sum death payment.
- Informal probate filing deadline: Utah State Courts, Informal Probate.
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice.