Losing your spouse is heartbreaking and one of the most difficult times of your life. It can also be very stressful, as there are many things you find yourself having to sort out. Here are 17 critical things you should do after your spouse dies.
Notify Family and Friends
It’s important to let your family and close friends know as soon as you can. AARP supports this and reports, “Send out a group text or mass email, or make individual phone calls, to let people know your loved one has died. To track down all those who need to know, go through the deceased’s email and phone contacts.”
Obtain Certified Copies of the Death Certificate
It’s important to obtain multiple certified copies of your spouse’s death certificate after they have passed. This will help make your life easier when canceling things that were in your spouse’s name, as many companies require the death certificate as proof of their passing.
Make Funeral Arrangements
Once your spouse dies, you’ll need to consider making funeral arrangements. This may be very difficult, and you may require support from family or friends. Try to remember it as an opportunity to truly celebrate your spouse’s life, as this can make the process easier.
Contact Your Spouse’s Employer
If your spouse was still working at the time, then it’s really important that you remember to contact their employer. This will also give you an understanding of whether there are any death benefits to collect. Also, they should be able to provide you with information regarding your spouse’s pension.
Locate Important Documents
It’s important to locate all important documents you may require over the coming weeks and months. These documents can include wills, trusts, insurance documents, bank accounts, and investment accounts. Having them all in one place will make it less stressful when everything needs to be sorted.
Notify Social Security
After your spouse passes away, it’s important that you notify Social Security. USA Gov provides different ways to do this, such as by giving your spouse’s social security number to the funeral director or by contacting your local Social Security Office. By doing this, you can stop any further payments from coming out and inquire about any survivor benefits.
Meet with Financial and Legal Advisors
Something you don’t have to do immediately but also shouldn’t leave for too long is to arrange a meeting with your financial and legal advisors. They’ll be able to talk you through the best steps in your situation and discuss any possible responsibilities that have been passed on to you.
Secure Your Financial Accounts
It’s important you tell the banks of your spouse’s passing. They’ll be able to change any account ownership for you. You also need to contact any credit card companies. Even if they were in joint names, they’d be able to change them just to you, and this will prevent any identity theft from occurring.
Review and Update Your Will
A short time after your spouse has passed, you should think about updating your own will. It’s likely your spouse left you things in their will that you now own, so it’s important you update who you want your possessions to be left to.
Contact Life Insurance
It’s important that you contact the life insurance company as soon as you feel comfortable. Make sure you have a copy of the death certificate and policy number, as this will help them process your claim as quickly as possible. They’ll be able to talk you through the different options available.
Cancel Subscriptions and Services
It can be stressful to cancel everything after your spouse dies and one thing many forget to do is cancel any subscriptions. It can be made easier as Trustworthy recommends, “To begin canceling subscriptions, you need to gather information. If you can’t find the login information of the deceased person’s account, investigate if the charges are occurring on a debit or credit card.”
Handle Digital Accounts and Social Media
Something that people forget to do is cancel their spouse’s digital and social media accounts. Closing social media accounts is important to prevent anyone from hacking them. You should also close your spouse’s email accounts once you have contacted the relevant companies with whom your spouse was in contact online.
Consider Grief Counseling
Losing your spouse is arguably one of the toughest things you’ll ever have to face in your life. Many people can struggle, and grief can be hard to deal with. It’s important you seek help if needed, and grief counseling can be helpful as it allows you to understand everything you’re going through.
Update Insurance Policies
You’ll undoubtedly have many insurance policies, all for different things. When you feel up to it, contact every insurance policy you have with your spouse. This will allow them to update the policies so they are in your name only and adjust coverage if needed.
Manage Property and Real Estate
It’s important to update property titles and deeds, so they’re only in your name. You may even reconsider your options, whether you want to keep all your properties or rent some out. Make sure all mortgage payments are up to date by changing the name they’re in and the account they come out of.
Plan for Future Financial Stability
Once your spouse passes away, life will look very different. You’ll need to reconsider your future finances, as it’s just you and your income now. You may want to cut out certain expenses that you feel aren’t necessary for one person or make different investments to aid your future.
Prepare for Long-Term Adjustments
N.S. Wibberley reports that grief is “all about treating yourself with care and working through the challenges at your own pace.” You need to ensure that you’re doing positive things for your mental wellbeing. You may have more time to explore hobbies and interests that you enjoy, which will keep you busy.
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