## Few things hurt worse than the death of a spouse.  The loss of a husband or wife—whether you’ve been married a few years or many—can have a profound effect on your spiritual, physical, and mental well-being. The death of a spouse can also bring significant __*financial*__ changes.

While it’s critically important to prepare ahead of time, with wills, and life insurance, and so on, there are a dizzying number of details to handle *after* a spouse dies.

Understand that doing anything after losing a family member can be very difficult at first. If you know someone in this situation—a friend or even your Mom or Dad—then maybe do them a favor and take some notes here and be available to help.  Often, the best thing you can do for someone who’s grieving is to *listen*.

So, if you’re dealing with the death of a spouse or any close family member, we're going to share a timeline of what to do.

__Before we go into that, though, there are some things you should *not* do right after your spouse passes away.__

- Don’t give away their personal possessions right away unless their will specifies otherwise.  This is a very emotional time, and it may be a while before you’re ready to make clear-headed decisions.
- Don’t impulsively spend money.  Over-spending won’t ease the pain of grief, but it could get you in financial trouble.
- Stay in your current home for a while, if possible. Major personal and financial decisions should be made based on reason not emotion, so take the time to grieve before leaving your familiar surroundings.
- Don’t lend or give away money to family or friends. You need time to mourn, so don’t let anyone pressure you to make big decisions when you’re in the fog of grief.

__Now, here’s what you *should* do following the death of a loved one.__

__Things to do right away:__

- Contact immediate family and friends.
- Manage organ and medical donations.
- Contact the funeral home or crematory.
- Order several copies of the certified death certificate.
- Contact an attorney.

In addition to planning and going through the funeral or memorial, survivors face a mountain of paperwork and administrative tasks. An attorney can help with many of these things, but you will still have to gather all the important documents. Here are the documents and items to collect:

- Keys or codes to any safe deposit boxes
- Marriage and birth certificates
- Real estate deeds and leases
- Wills and trust documents
- Life Insurance Policies
- Pension and Investment documents
- Recent tax returns
- Bank Statements, including Auto Pay and Bill Pay information
- Mortgage and loan statements, including credit cards
- Asset titles, including cars, trucks, RVs, and boats
- Insurance statements for auto, home, and health
- Recurring bills

__With these documents in hand, here’s what needs to be done *within the first week* of a spouse’s death:__

- With the help of an estate attorney, follow up on the provisions of the will and any trusts.
- Notify all financial institutions (banks, brokerages) of your spouse’s death.

__Tip:__ make sure you have printed all the statements and other information you need from these accounts *before* you call, because if the accounts are in your spouse’s name only, you may not have access after they are closed.

- Notify the Social Security Administration and request information on spousal and survivor benefits.
- Contact the Veterans Affairs office, if applicable, and any labor unions and other professional organizations your spouse was part of.  There may be survivor benefits.
- Contact your life insurance company as soon as possible.
- If your spouse received medical care before his or her death, contact your health insurance company or Medicare insurance to file a claim and notify them of your spouse’s passing.
- Contact banks and credit unions to update joint account holder information.  Close accounts that are no longer needed.
- Make sure that any bills scheduled for auto pay are still being paid from accounts in *your* name.  If your spouse handled the bills electronically through bill pay at the bank, you may have to close that account and set up a new one in your name. Do this soon so you don’t miss any bills.
- Request your spouse’s credit history from all three credit bureaus to check for outstanding debts.
- Cancel credit cards that are no longer needed…and update information on all joint accounts.
- Update the titles and deeds of vehicles and other assets.
- Contact your financial advisor to update beneficiary information.
- Update death benefit information for all financial and insurance accounts.

__Here's a list of what to do *one to four months* following a spouse’s death:__

- Change legal documents for existing assets to your name alone.
- Complete probate on your spouse’s estate, if necessary.
- Update your will to indicate who will serve as *your* executor and power of attorney in the future.
- Complete the application process with Social Security
- Assess your debt situation, in case you’re liable for any of your deceased spouse’s debts.
- Adjust your budget to fit your new financial realities.
- Check your annual and semi-annually-paid accounts, like insurance premiums, to make sure those are being paid.
- Notify the three credit bureaus of your spouse’s death, to avoid identity theft.
- Cancel email accounts, websites, and group memberships.
- Contact college financial aid offices, if necessary.

## __Losing a spouse is a very painful experience but if that’s you today, trust that the Lord will walk *with* you through the “valley of the shadow”. Psalm 34:18 reminds us that *"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted…and saves the crushed in spirit."*__

FaithFi

Articles

There are some things you should and shouldn't do right after your spouse passes away.

MANAGE | Feb 27, 2023

What to Do after the Death of a Spouse

By: Rob West & Carolyn Calupca

Where Faith Meets Finance

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