What to Do When There is a Death in the Family

There is a lot of responsibility to shoulder when there is a death in the family. There is also a grieving process that is personal to each family member. However, there are certain things you need to carry out when a loved one passes away and most of the time all of this can be quite new to you.

There is a lot of information you can find online about funeral planning and you can also get guidance from funeral parlours Brisbane regarding the process. One of the first things you need to do is to get a legal pronouncement of the death. Usually, this is done by a doctor or hospice nurse. But when the death occurs at home, you will need to call paramedics or take the deceased to an emergency room so that a doctor can pronounce the death. If the death is expected as the person has been suffering from an illness, you can contact their physician. Once the death is pronounced, you will need to find transportation of the body by a mortuary if there is no autopsy required. You will also need to notify friends and family. This can be delegated to close loved ones so that they can contact all relevant people. If there are dependents under the decedent or pets, you will need to arrange for their care as well. If the decedent has been employed, you can contact the employer and let them know as well. There are some companies that offer life-insurance so you can clarify this when you contact them.

The funeral service will need to be decided as well. Generally, there will be certain documents or a will left by the person outlining an end-of-life plan that will let you know whether they want a burial or cremation as well as other funeral arrangements. You will also need to prepare an obituary. The house of the decedent needs to be secured if they were the only person living in it. There should be someone at home to answer the phone and keep up its daily maintenance. The death certificate should be obtained from the funeral home. It is best to get multiple copies of this as you will need to submit it to different financial institutions, insurance companies etc.

If there is a will left by the decedent, you need to get it accepted for probate by taking it to the relevant office. The state laws will differ depending on where you live and there is usually a standard period of time that the will have to be filed. There are several people that you need to contact after the death of a loved one such as an estate attorney, the police, investment advisor, tax preparer, life insurance agent, pension services, credit reporting agencies, banks, utility companies etc. If the home is vacant, you will need to contact the insurance agent to obtain a vacant policy. If the person is elderly or suffering from a life threatening illness, it is best to discuss these arrangements beforehand so that you know what they prefer. A living will and an advanced directive can specify their needs.