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What to do when someone dies

A practical list for the first thirty days, in the order things actually need doing. Free, no account, and nothing to fill in but the questions.

See what needs doing

Free, about three minutes, and no account needed to see your result.

How it works

  1. 1Answer a few questions about where things stand.
  2. 2Get a list in order, with what is urgent marked.
  3. 3Share it with whoever is helping you.

What to do when someone dies

Question 1 of 17

What was your relationship to the person who died?

This only changes which steps are shown to you. Nothing is stored.

Why this matters

You were handed all of it at once

Nobody is taught this, and it arrives at the worst possible moment. The list below is simply what tends to need doing, so you are not trying to hold it all in your head.

Order matters more than speed

A few things unlock everything else and take weeks to arrive. Starting those first saves more time than hurrying any of the rest.

What people most often miss

An old pension, a policy through an employer, support that the family was entitled to claim. These are rarely found because nothing points to them.

No account, and no email required

Answer the questions, read your list, close the page. You decide if anything else happens.

Questions

Is this legal advice?
No. It is a practical checklist, and it deliberately avoids naming laws, deadlines or official forms, because those differ between countries and change over time. Anything involving an authority, a court or an estate should be confirmed with that authority or with a professional.
Does it apply where I live?
The steps are the ones common to most countries, written so that they hold wherever you are. The specific names, offices and paperwork will be local, and the list says so wherever that matters.
Do I have to give my email address?
No. Your list appears on screen. You can have it emailed to you if that is easier than keeping the page open, and that is entirely your choice.
What happens to my answers?
They produce your list. They are not sold, and they are not shared with anyone.
I am not the one organising this. Is it still useful?
Yes. Most of this can be done by somebody other than the closest family member, and knowing what the list contains is often the most useful help you can offer.

Everything in one place

AssetOrganize keeps the documents, the accounts and the instructions your family would otherwise have to hunt for.

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