This is a checklist to assist you in organizing some of the tasks you may need to accomplish in the few days or weeks following the death of your family member:

• Send notes of gratitude for flowers, memorial donations, food, …
• Meet with your lawyer to settle the estate. (You will need a copy of the will/trust and certified copies of the death certificate.)
• Find the location of important documents, such as birth certificate, children’s birth certificates, marriage certificates, deeds and titles, mortgages and notes, will and/or living will, medical power of attorney, military discharge, income tax records, …
• If the deceased was living alone, notify the post office where to send the mail.
• Notify insurance companies and file appropriate claims:
  - Life Insurance
  - Homeowners Insurance
  - Medical, Health, Disability, Travel Insurance
  - Car Insurance
  - Retirement Benefits
  Remember, health, auto, house, or apartment insurance may have a small amount of life insurance.
• Notify all credit card companies to cancel all individually held cards, to change all jointly held accounts, and to apply for all credit card life insurance coverage where applicable.
• Notify Banks, Savings & Loans, Credit Unions or financial institutions where the deceased held accounts or loans. Remember there may be insurance policies from these institutions to cover the mortgage …
• Change all utilities from the deceased’s name.
• Notify stockbroker to change ownership of joint or solely owned stocks.
• Gather all bills together to pay, unless they are covered by a credit life insurance which may pay off the account balance.
• Transfer real estate properties where applicable.
• Notify Bureau of Motor Vehicles to transfer titles of all vehicles registered in the deceased name.
• Review your own insurance needs, will, ….
• A few places to check for valuable information:
  - Address book
  - Wallet
  - Safe Deposit Box for will, insurance policies, bond, valuables, …
  - Taxes for any refund and also to review for any insurance policy info
  - Canceled checks and register to understand financial commitments and to see if any premiums were paid for any additional insurance policies
  - Keys to cars, safety deposit box, locker, safe, desk…
  - Deposits on telephones, cable boxes, apartments, P.O. box … that can be refunded
  - Pay stubs to examine for automatic deductions
  - Place of employment for personal items in desk/locker and any insurance policy