What should my family do first after I die?

Common early tasks after a death include immediate care and funeral needs, securing property, obtaining certified death certificates, locating current estate documents, and notifying the people named to act. Major transfers require confirmation of proper legal authority. A court or state-licensed attorney can explain the required estate process.

General information

• The executor may need court appointment before using estate accounts.
• A successor trustee may act under the trust for trust property.
• Government agencies, banks, insurers, and account providers have separate notice steps.

Service steps to consider

1. Securing the home, pets, vehicles, and records.
2. Ordering several certified death certificates.
3. Contacting an estate attorney, tax expert, or court when required.

Quick check

• Has a person, asset, or address changed?
• Do all account forms match the plan?
• Can the right person find the current forms?

How Complete Wills can help

Complete Wills offers document updates through its published update service and can help customers access or revise eligible online documents. Support cannot decide whether a life event legally changes an existing document. Only a state-licensed attorney can provide that analysis. Customer support can explain website features and questionnaire fields, but it cannot choose documents, people, distributions, or legal terms, interpret a completed document, or explain how the law applies to a person's facts. Only a separately engaged licensed attorney may provide legal advice within the attorney's engagement.

Important limits

• Risk: writing changes on a signed will or trust while assuming they are valid. A licensed attorney can advise about a properly executed amendment or replacement.
• After a death, the executor, trustee, family, and experts must follow the controlling documents, account contracts, court rules, and tax law. This article gives general information only. A licensed attorney can explain how state law applies to a specific estate plan or document.