What to do when someone dies

1. Get a legal pronouncement of death. In a hospital or care home, staff handle this. At home, call the doctor or emergency services.
2. Tell close family and friends, and decide who will help.
3. Arrange care for any dependents and pets.
4. Contact a funeral home, or follow any pre-paid or pre-planned arrangements the person left.
5. Look for the person's wishes — many people write down whether they wanted burial or cremation, and who to contact. (This is exactly what the "When I'm gone" page in My Wishes is for.)

The death certificate is the document almost everything else depends on. The funeral director usually orders it for you. Ask for more copies than you think you need — banks, insurers, pension providers, and government offices each tend to want their own original, and ordering more later is slower. Ten is a common starting point.

• The executor named in the will, and the family's attorney if there is one.
• Banks, and any pension or retirement plan.
• Life insurance companies (payouts go to the named beneficiary — often outside the will).
• Social Security / government benefits, and the employer if the person was working.
• Utilities, landlord or mortgage company, and subscriptions.

The executor gathers the will and, where needed, applies for probate — the court's confirmation that they have authority to deal with the estate. From there it's a matter of collecting assets, settling debts, and passing on what's left. It's rarely fast, and that's normal.