The 72-Hour Checklist: What to Do When Someone Dies

The first three days after a death are the hardest — emotionally, and practically.

There are decisions to make immediately, notifications to send, and logistical tasks that can't wait. Most families face this without any preparation or roadmap. They figure it out as they go, often missing things that matter or making decisions under pressure that they later wish they'd had more time to think through.

This is the list nobody gave you.

Within the first 24 hours

Get multiple certified copies of the death certificate.

You'll need more than you think — typically 10 to 15 copies. Banks, insurance companies, government agencies, and courts each require original certified copies, not photocopies. Order them immediately. Running out of certified copies is one of the most common causes of delay in estate settlement.

Locate the will and any trust documents.

The original will needs to be filed with the probate court. Find it now, before anything else. If you don't know where it is, check home safes, filing cabinets, bank safe deposit boxes, and with the estate attorney if there was one.

Secure the home and physical property.

If the deceased lived alone, make sure the home is locked and secured. Valuable personal property — jewelry, artwork, collectibles, electronics — should be inventoried and secured before others have access.

Notify immediate family and close friends.

This sounds obvious, but in large or geographically dispersed families, someone needs to be responsible for communication. Decide early who is the point of contact so information flows consistently.

Within the first 48 hours

Contact the funeral home and make arrangements.

If the deceased left written wishes — burial vs. cremation, specific preferences — locate those documents now. Decisions made without them may not reflect what the person wanted.

Notify the employer (if applicable).

This stops payroll, triggers any death benefits, and begins the process of handling group life insurance or pension benefits.

Locate life insurance policies.

Insurance claims can take time to process. The sooner you file, the sooner proceeds are available — which may matter for covering immediate expenses.

Identify the estate attorney and CPA.

If the deceased had professional advisors, contact them early. They'll guide the legal and tax process and can help you avoid costly mistakes in the first weeks.

Cancel or pause recurring expenses where appropriate.

Subscriptions, utilities, and scheduled payments need attention — but be careful. Some accounts (utilities at a property being maintained, for example) should stay active during estate administration.

Within the first 72 hours

File the will with the probate court.

The executor named in the will needs to begin the probate process. This is typically done by filing the will with the probate court in the county where the deceased lived and petitioning for appointment as executor.

Notify Social Security.

If the deceased was receiving Social Security benefits, payments must stop. Any payments received after the date of death must be returned. Notify the Social Security Administration promptly.

Begin documenting everything.

From this point forward, the executor should keep a log of every action taken on behalf of the estate — decisions made, expenses incurred, communications sent. This documentation becomes the basis for the final accounting.

Notify financial institutions.

Banks and investment accounts need to be notified. They'll typically freeze accounts in the deceased's name alone until the executor has legal authority (Letters Testamentary) to access them.

Assess immediate cash needs.

Estate administration takes time. The executor needs to understand what funds are available to cover immediate expenses — funeral costs, property maintenance, taxes — before assets are distributed.

What slows everything down

In our experience, estate settlement gets delayed for a few predictable reasons:

Documents can't be found. The will is somewhere, but nobody knows where. Account information is scattered. There's no record of what the person owned.

The executor doesn't know who the advisors are. Finding the estate attorney or CPA after the fact, without any record, adds weeks.

Beneficiaries have conflicting information. Without a clear point of communication, family members fill information gaps with assumptions.

Digital assets are inaccessible. Passwords weren't shared. Crypto wallets, email accounts, and financial apps are locked. Digital accounts that nobody knew existed go undiscovered.

All of these are preventable — not with a complex legal strategy, but with a simple, organized record of information maintained before it's needed.

The document that changes everything

Imagine handing your executor a single document that told them: where the will is, who the advisors are, what accounts exist and where, what you want for your funeral, who needs to be notified, and where to find the passwords.

That's what EmberKeep is. Not a legal document. Not a will replacement. A clear, organized record of everything your family needs to know on Day 1.