Steps After Someone Dies: What to Do in the First 30 Days
The days and weeks after someone dies involve a mix of grief and practical decisions that arrive all at once. This guide provides a general timeline of what most families need to handle — regardless of your relationship to the person who died.
In the first 24–48 hours
- If the death was unexpected, contact emergency services and follow their guidance
- If the person was in a hospital or care facility, work with staff on next steps — they will handle the immediate logistics
- Notify immediate family and close friends
- Contact a funeral home to begin arrangements — they will guide you through the process from here
- Make any urgent decisions about burial or cremation preferences, if known
You do not need to have everything figured out in the first day. If the person was in a care facility or hospital, staff will help manage the immediate hours. Your most important job right now is to reach the people who need to know.
In the first week
- Obtain multiple certified copies of the death certificate — request 8–10 (you will need them for financial accounts, insurance claims, and legal filings)
- Locate the will, any trust documents, and any advance directives
- Notify the employer (if applicable) and ask about any final wages or benefits
- Contact any life insurance providers to begin the claims process
- Make arrangements for any dependents or pets
- Secure the home and any vehicles if no one is living there
In the first month
- Determine who has legal authority over the estate — the executor named in the will, or someone who petitions the court
- Notify banks, investment firms, and financial institutions
- Contact the Social Security Administration if the deceased was receiving benefits
- Cancel ongoing subscriptions and services
- Redirect mail to an appropriate address
- Begin settling the estate — with an estate attorney if the situation is complex
- Determine whether probate is required in your state
A note on pacing
Most of the financial and legal steps can wait a few weeks. Funeral arrangements and death certificates are the most time-sensitive tasks in the first days. Everything else — notifying creditors, sorting accounts, dealing with property — can follow once you have had a little time to breathe.
If you're the executor
If you have been named as the executor, you have a more formal set of responsibilities — including filing the will with the probate court, inventorying assets, paying debts, and distributing the estate to beneficiaries. This process typically takes six months to a year.
See our executor checklist for a full breakdown of those responsibilities.
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