The closer you were to your loved one who passed away, the more responsibilities you may have to juggle in this difficult time, especially if you are the personal representative of the estate. Use the resources in this section to set immediate and long-term goals that account for your loss.
Take care of immediate responsibilities Following the death of a loved one, these are some of the many responsibilities that you and your family need to take care of:
Gather the right papers These papers will be helpful as you and your family divide the estate:
- Death certificate
- Insurance policies
- Wills
- Trusts
- Safe deposit boxes
- Annuities
- Bank account statements
- Employee benefits information
- Bills
Contact the right people When you experience a death in the family, there are many people to call. Get organized with our:
Emergency Contact List >>>
Cover immediate expenses
In case claims don’t come in on time, make sure your family is prepared to cover these immediate expenses:
- State and federal income taxes
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Hospital bills
- Legal fees
- Accountant’s fees
- Florist
Communicate with family members
A death in the family can cause conflict between family members. A lot is at stake for everyone involved, and it can become very tense if relatives feel that they are not being told everything they need to know. The more you communicate, the more smoothly things will go.
As personal representative, it is important to keep family members up-to-date on how the estate is coming along. One way to do this is to set up a monthly meeting to discuss all the financial transactions that have taken place, get signatures where necessary and sort through personal items of the deceased. If there’s a house to sell, you can get it ready as a family.
Take care of yourself emotionally
In times of personal loss, it’s important that you allow yourself to grieve. Grieving is a natural expression of your emotional attachment to your loved one and a necessary step for you to take before you can move on. It can help to seek out support from others. Friends, family, counselors and clergy can be extremely supportive and helpful to you through your difficult time.
Reexamine your goals
If your financial situation has changed because of the loss of your loved one, it’s important to reevaluate your life goals so you can move forward financially.
Consider these goals
After a death in the family, we encourage you to consider:
Define your goals
Define, prioritize and estimate costs for your future goals with our:
Goal Definition Worksheet >>>