What to Do after the Death of a Spouse

Few things hurt worse than the death of a spouse. The loss of a husband or wife—whether you’ve been married a few years or many—can have a profound effect on your spiritual, physical, and mental well-being. The death of a spouse can also bring significant financial changes.

So, if you’re dealing with the death of a spouse or any close family member, we're going to share a timeline of what to do.

• Don’t give away their personal possessions right away unless their will specifies otherwise. This is a very emotional time, and it may be a while before you’re ready to make clear-headed decisions.
• Don’t impulsively spend money. Over-spending won’t ease the pain of grief, but it could get you in financial trouble.
• Stay in your current home for a while, if possible. Major personal and financial decisions should be made based on reason not emotion, so take the time to grieve before leaving your familiar surroundings.
• Don’t lend or give away money to family or friends. You need time to mourn, so don’t let anyone pressure you to make big decisions when you’re in the fog of grief.

• Contact immediate family and friends.
• Manage organ and medical donations.
• Contact the funeral home or crematory.
• Order several copies of the certified death certificate.
• Contact an attorney.

In addition to planning and going through the funeral or memorial, survivors face a mountain of paperwork and administrative tasks. An attorney can help with many of these things, but you will still have to gather all the important documents. Here are the documents and items to collect:

• Keys or codes to any safe deposit boxes
• Marriage and birth certificates
• Real estate deeds and leases
• Wills and trust documents
• Life Insurance Policies
• Pension and Investment documents
• Recent tax returns

• With the help of an estate attorney, follow up on the provisions of the will and any trusts.
• Notify all financial institutions (banks, brokerages) of your spouse’s death.

• Change legal documents for existing assets to your name alone.
• Complete probate on your spouse’s estate, if necessary.
• Update your will to indicate who will serve as your executor and power of attorney in the future.
• Complete the application process with Social Security

Losing a spouse is a very painful experience but if that’s you today, trust that the Lord will walk with you through the “valley of the shadow”. Psalm 34:18 reminds us that "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted…and saves the crushed in spirit."