What You May Have to Take Care of Within the First Few Weeks and Months After Losing Your Spouse
This is by no means a complete list and won’t apply to everybody since everyone’s situation is different. I’m just providing this as a starting point for making your own list. Please consult with the appropriate professionals.
Note: It might be a good idea to go through bills, statements and other documents in your file box to help you compile your list. If you haven’t already done so, sort through the contents of your spouse’s wallet. You may find credit cards or membership cards you’ve forgotten about.
- Contact social security to report the death (the funeral home may already have taken care of that) and find out if you (or your children) qualify for monthly benefits. You may qualify for a lump sum death payment of $255 (amount as of 1/5/2020 according to the Social Security Administration website).
- At this point you probably have already notified your loved one’s employer, but be sure to also inquire about any life insurance or retirement accounts, etc. (also check with previous employers about benefits, 401(k), etc.)
- File life insurance claims (Do this as soon as possible. It can take a while to receive the funds.)
- Do you need to make changes to health and/or dental insurance?
- If your spouse was a service member or veteran, contact the VA to inquire about possible benefits, including burial benefits.
- Is there a will?
- Do you need to go through the probate process?
- If so, what needs to be done?
- Do you need to open up an estate account?
- Depending on how complex your situation is, you might consider hiring a probate attorney.
- Cancel your spouse’s credit card accounts, and/or, if applicable, change them from joint accounts to individual accounts in your name. (Note: Be aware of any automatic payments that may be set up on his/her credit cards that require action.)
- You should report the death to the three credit reporting agencies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to prevent identity theft. It is also a good idea to request a copy of your spouse’s credit reports.
- See what needs to be done with any bank accounts in your spouse’s name or joint accounts. Note: You may want to keep your deceased spouse’s name on a joint checking account until you’re sure there won’t be any more checks issued to him/her arriving in the mail (dividend checks, refunds, etc.) so that you’ll be able to deposit them. (Please consult a professional.)
- Are there any loans (mortgage, car loan, etc.) that need to be dealt with? Is there mortgage life insurance?
- Consult with a tax professional about the final individual income tax return(s) and estate income tax return.
- Utilities (electricity, gas, water, home security)
- Car titles (Even if the title is in both names, you may need to transfer the title to your name only. Contact your local DMV)
- Cancel driver’s license
- Cancel any memberships your spouse may have had (for example gym, club, professional).
- Cancel or transfer cell phone account/contract and landline account
- Internet, email accounts (Be sure you have all information from email accounts before closing this.)
- TV contract such as DIRECTV
- Social media, other internet accounts and entertainment (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Hulu, Netflix, magazine subscriptions, etc.)
- You may want to search credit card statements for recurring monthly charges to help you identify memberships and accounts.
- Cancel doctor appointments, automatic prescription refills, etc.
- Review your own will, power of attorney and advance directive and revise if necessary. Update beneficiaries on your accounts.
I know this is overwhelming. Try to prioritize items on your list and tackle those things first. You will probably want to write everything down, check off what you’ve taken care of, and make notes of the things you still have to do. Take really good notes on anything financial! It’s hard to remember and keep track of everything, especially when you’re emotionally shattered and drained.
As I said before, this list is not a complete list and items may not apply to your individual situation. Please consult with the appropriate professionals. I’m only providing this to give you a starting point and help you think of things you may have to do.
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Blog post: Overwhelmed by Tasks Right After Loss