The following information will be helpful to those who have lost a spouse, will lose a spouse, or are the executor of an estate. You may click on the link below to download a copy of the Excel spreadsheet I put together and then edit it to pertain to your particular needs. Put a copy of it with the Last Will & Testament. It will be needed someday.
After your spouse dies, the funeral home will probably give you a short list of things to do, including contacting Social Security. Social Security will pay a whopping $255 death benefit to the surviving spouse. If your spouse was receiving Social Security, you will need to cancel the automatic payments. You can also file to receive your spouse’s Social Security, if applicable to your situation. There are so many other things to do that the funeral home will fail to tell you. The real list can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be done all at once.
The list that I put together proved to be very helpful after my husband passed away. It helped me keep track of what I needed to do and the date it was completed. Much of the list consists of things I personally found necessary, but other widows have added to the list after their own experience. I’ve tried to list the most time-sensitive things to do near the top.
Other suggestions:
Keep a Notebook
Write down the name of every company you contact, the date contacted, with whom you spoke, and what they told you.
This was the most frustrating time in my life. I’ve never dealt with more incompetent people. At a time when most people would be mad at God for taking their loved one, I was mad at the people I had to deal with over the phone who weren’t doing the job they were hired to do. I don’t usually complain, but they gave me something to complain about.
I was passed from department to department and given a different answer by almost everyone I talked to. I didn’t know who to believe and was without medical insurance and prescription coverage briefly because they dropped the ball. I would follow up a week or two later with each company, and discovered they had failed to do what they were supposed to do. Almost nothing went right. I wish I were the only one this happened to, but I’ve talked with other widows who experienced the same thing. Be prepared to spend hour upon hour on the phone, especially with Social Security.
Obtain Passwords
Something that is very important for you to know before your loved one dies is his/her passwords.
You can keep an updated list in the file with the Last Will & Testament. List the passwords to:
Computer – to gain access to important files and photographs
Cell Phone
to gain access to photos
to obtain contact information to notify friends, family, and business associates of death
Business Accounts – to pay bills, cancel automatic payments, and/or close accounts