Someone Just Died

A scannable checklist of the specific decisions a family is typically asked to make in the days after a death.

The Tibetan Buddhist teaching of the bardo, the intermediate state after death, and how other Buddhist traditions approach the immediate aftermath differently.

Why email access after a death is more legally complex than other accounts, and the specific process major providers require.

Why families often can't simply unlock a phone after a death, and the formal request process required without a known passcode.

Gentle, practical guidance on what you can do — and don't need to do — in the time between a death and the funeral home's arrival.

How to choose a funeral home quickly and confidently if there's no existing plan in place, including what to ask on that first call.

How to find out whether your loved one already arranged and paid for a funeral in advance, and what that means for the family right now.

How a gurdwara typically supports a Sikh family after a death, and how to connect with one even without an existing relationship.

How many certified death certificates families typically need, why so many, and how the funeral home usually handles ordering them.

The specific steps and meaning behind ghusl (ritual washing) and kafan (shrouding) in Islamic funeral practice.

Practical ways to work through disagreement in an interfaith family when there's no documented guidance from the person who died.

A practical starting point for making funeral arrangements when there's no existing plan, organized in the order most families find it easiest to decide.

How to navigate pressure from extended family for a religious funeral service when the person who died had no religious tradition or practice.

Practical guidance on notifying an employer and wider circle of family and friends after a death, including what to say and when it can wait.

How organ and tissue donation works after a death, and what a family needs (and doesn't need) to do.

What a priest or pastor typically does in the days after a death - from immediate pastoral support to planning the funeral service itself.

A practical checklist for planning a veteran's funeral, pulling together documentation, cemetery choice, and honors in one place.

A complete overview of VA burial benefits, who qualifies, and what documentation is needed to access them.

Why it matters to mention veteran status early, and what documentation to look for to access military burial benefits.

A clear explanation of what a funeral director actually does, for families who've never worked with one before.

The full journey a body takes after death - pronouncement, transport, funeral home care, and preparation for burial or cremation.

What actually happens, financially and practically, when someone dies with no money to cover funeral costs, and what real options remain.

Step-by-step guidance for when an expected death happens at home, including who to call first and why there's no need to rush.

What to do in the disorienting first minutes after an unexpected death at home, including why you shouldn't move the body and what happens after you call 911.

What to do when a death happens while traveling domestically or overseas, including how repatriation of remains typically works.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Alabama's distinctive Probate Court structure after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Alaska's distinctive elective community property and trust laws.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Arizona's beneficiary deed option after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Arkansas.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and other affairs after a death in California.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Colorado.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Connecticut's distinctive combined gift and estate tax system.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Delaware's nationally significant trust law after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and other affairs after a death in Florida.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Georgia.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and the practical logistics unique to an island state after a death.

What happens when a death occurs in a hospital, hospice facility, or nursing home, and what the family needs to decide in the hours right after.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Idaho's community property system after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Illinois.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Indiana.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Iowa's recently phased-out inheritance tax after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Kansas's repealed inheritance tax after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Kentucky's active inheritance tax after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates and Louisiana's distinctive civil-law succession system, including forced heirship.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Maine's separate state estate tax after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Maryland's distinctive dual estate and inheritance tax system.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Massachusetts's distinctive estate tax after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Michigan's distinctive Lady Bird deed after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Minnesota's state estate tax after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Mississippi's distinctive Chancery Court system after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Missouri's pioneering beneficiary deed after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Montana.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Nebraska's distinctive county-level inheritance tax after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Nevada's favorable trust and tax environment after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in New Hampshire.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and New Jersey's distinctive inheritance tax after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in New Mexico.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and other affairs after a death in New York.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and North Carolina's distinctive year's allowance after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in North Dakota.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Ohio.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Oklahoma.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Oregon's notably low estate tax threshold after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Pennsylvania's distinctive inheritance tax after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Rhode Island's distinctive municipal probate court system.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in South Carolina.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and South Dakota's nationally significant trust industry after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Tennessee.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and other affairs after a death in Texas.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Utah.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Vermont's separate state estate tax after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Virginia.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and estate matters after a death in Washington State.

Guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and the District of Columbia's notably low estate tax threshold after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and West Virginia's distinctive County Clerk-administered probate system.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Wisconsin's Marital Property Act after a death.

State-specific guidance for handling death certificates, probate, and Wyoming's trust-friendly, low-tax environment after a death.

A practical order for who to notify in the first day after a death, so you're not trying to figure this out from scratch while grieving.

What a death certificate actually does legally, and why almost nothing else can move forward without one.

The reasoning behind Islamic tradition's emphasis on prompt burial, and how families and communities navigate real-world delays when they happen.

Practical guidance on what to include in an obituary, plus permission to write something more personal than the traditional format.

How to write an obituary that honors someone's actual life and beliefs, avoiding common religious phrases that wouldn't fit a non-religious person.