I’d imagine it is horrific it is to get notified that something happened to a family member while I am overseas. I know it will be the most heartbroken experience and that would have a long-lasting impact on me. When a loved one passes away, it is already grievous and sad enough emotionally, on top of having to navigate issues, make funeral plans and notify friends, the whole process would become extremely difficult for everyone. Not only that the grieving process consumes time and energy, but also the cost of the funeral could bring lots of stress. You are lucky if your loved one had made a detailed plan with the most necessary items like prepaid memorials, but if not, you would likely struggle paying for a whole funeral like most people. In addition, there are also several critical financial items you need obtain after your loved one passes away.
1. Request Death Certificates
The first thing is to contact the Vital Statistics office and obtain several certified copies of death certificate. Another way to request the certificates needed is through funeral home. Most of the recipients require an original certified document, but some of the recipient may accept a photo copy. There is usually a charge for each copy requested.
2. Probate the Estate
If your loved one drew a will with an attorney, most likely a named executor will be in charge of carrying out final wishes and distributing the estates. On the other hand, if the decedent passed away without notice, typically law provides a list of people who can serve this role. It is important to know note that the details are different from countries to countries because property transferred at death is governed by law. Make sure to obtain a letter testamentary which proves that you are entitled to handle the deceased’s estate during probate, if you turn out to be a named executor. It is a good idea to consult an attorney to help you through the whole process.
3. Contact Financial Institutions
After you receive the death certificates and the letters testamentary, you should notify all the insurance companies where your loved one had a policy. This is another very energy-consuming process as the financial institutions you need to contact may include employer-sponsored plans, individually owned policies, mortgage cancellation plans, banks and credit card companies. Benefits can be resulted from some of these policies if the death is an accident.
4. Contact Service Providers
Another thing you need to remember to do is to contact service providers to discontinue service. Those service providers include cable television, internet, telephone lines, cellphone number and gym membership. It is better to delay other services like electric, water, gas and lawn care so the home can still be maintained properly. Bank statement and credit card statements can come in handy in the case, identifying some less obvious monthly charges like club membership and home security systems.
