Estate Administration Attorney in Cary, North Carolina
What to Do when A Loved One Dies?
Losing a loved one can be very difficult. Much as be said and written about how to cope with loss. In addition to grieving, there are many things that have to happen in a very short period of time, such as autopsy, funeral, end of life expenses, bills, personal belongs, canceling monthly services (cell phone, internet, cable, insurance, etc), and many more.
In addition to those things, there are some legal actions and decisions that often need to be made. If you are handling these matters you have certain legal responsibilities that come with liability. Make sure you are doing things legally, not just right. When in doubt or if you have a question, consult an Attorney. Many charges for their valuable advice and some will do an initial consultation complimentary. You should at least talk to an attorney who practices (works) regularly in this area (often called "Probate" or "Estate Administration").
Probate is the legal process of transferring an estate to the estate's beneficiaries. In North Carolina, Probate is supervised by the County Court's Clerk of Court. While most counties handle it similarly, all of NC's 100 counties may do some parts slightly differently. This is where legal advice from an NC licensed attorney becomes valuable. While paying an attorney's fees is an expense, proper advice saves you time and money when going through Probate and avoiding the common pitfalls. For more information about Probate CLICK HERE.
What you need to do depends on what your loved one did before death. Regardless of what was done, we have created general recommendations of actions to take upon death.
Fulfill Your Loved
One's Final Requests
Get Started Today
What you need to do depends on what your loved one did before death. Regardless of what was done, we have created general recommendations of actions to take upon death.
The first few things to do include:
Notifying your loved one's funeral director and clergy
Locate important papers/documents/instructions left behind by your loved one
Contact and notify immediate family, close friends, co-workers, and employer
Contact an attorney who handles "Estate Administration" or "Probate" matters for more detailed instructions
Arrange for care of members of immediate family and/or pets
Contact Palmer Estate Planning for a complimentary consultation to discuss the next steps, documents, taxes, etc
Notify the Social Security Administration
Notify the loved one's financial advisor
Contact the employer's HR dept regarding benefits
Notify Medicare, if a loved one was eligible
Notify insurance companies (life, accident, disability insurers)
Notify Veteran Affairs Administration, if a loved one was a veteran
Record ALL money you or the immediate family spends on the funeral, hospital bills, and anything else
GET and KEEP RECEIPTS