Checklist After Death of Parent: What to Do First

The First 48 Hours

The immediate tasks after a parent's death are procedural, not emotional — and handling them quickly prevents complications later.

Get the official pronouncement. If your parent died at home, call 911 or the hospice nurse. A physician, medical examiner, or coroner must officially pronounce the death and sign the death certificate. If the death occurred in a hospital or care facility, this happens automatically.

Contact the funeral home. The funeral director handles transport, coordinates with the medical examiner, and files the death certificate with the local registrar. If your parent had a prepaid funeral plan, locate that paperwork — check their files, safe deposit box, or contact their regular funeral home.

Order death certificates. Request 10 to 15 certified copies through the funeral director or your county's vital records office. Many banks, insurance companies, and government agencies require one, while others accept a copy or electronic record. Ordering extras now is cheaper than requesting individual copies later.

Secure the home. If your parent lived alone, change the locks, check that homeowner's or renter's insurance is active, and turn off the main water valve in winter to prevent pipe bursts. Remove valuables and important documents, especially if the home will sit empty.

Notify immediate family. Even difficult relationships matter here — intestacy laws may give estranged siblings inheritance rights, and failing to notify potential heirs creates legal problems during probate.

The First Two Weeks

Notify Social Security (call 1-800-772-1213) to stop benefit payments. Overpayments after death must be repaid, and the bank will claw back direct deposits that arrive after the date of death. If your surviving parent was receiving spousal benefits, ask about survivor benefits.

Notify their employer if they were still working. Ask about final paychecks, unused vacation payout, group life insurance, pension or 401(k) benefits, and COBRA continuation for any dependents on their health plan.

Search for a will. Before assuming intestacy, check your parent's home files, safe deposit boxes, their attorney, and the state will registry. Look for any estate planning documents — trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives that may still be relevant.

Contact their bank. Notify each financial institution of the death. Joint accounts with right of survivorship pass directly to the surviving owner. Sole accounts without a payable-on-death beneficiary are usually restricted until a court-appointed administrator or another legally authorized claimant provides the required documents.

Legal and Financial Tasks (Weeks 2 Through 8)

Determine if probate is needed. Small estates may qualify for simplified procedures that bypass formal probate. Thresholds vary by state — California allows a small estate affidavit for personal property under $184,500.

Petition for letters of administration if your parent died without a will and the estate exceeds the small estate threshold. File with the probate court in the county where your parent lived. You'll need the death certificate, a list of known heirs, and a preliminary asset estimate.

Apply for the surety bond. Intestate administrators almost always need a surety bond before the court will issue letters of administration. The bond premium depends on the estate's value and your credit score.

Open an estate bank account. Once you receive letters of administration, open a dedicated checking account in the estate's name using the estate's EIN (apply on the IRS website). All estate income and expenses flow through this account — never through your personal accounts.

Notify creditors. Publish a notice in a local newspaper and send written notices to known creditors. The statutory claims period (typically 3 to 4 months) must run before you can distribute assets to heirs.

Ongoing Obligations

File your parent's final tax return (Form 1040 for income through the date of death). This is due April 15 of the following year.

File Form 1041 if the estate earns $600 or more in gross income during administration, or meets another filing requirement.

Distribute assets to heirs only after all debts are paid and the creditor period has closed. The state's intestacy statute determines who gets what — not family preferences or verbal promises your parent may have made.

The When There's No Will — Intestacy Survival Guide provides a phase-by-phase administrative timeline, fillable worksheets for tracking assets and creditors, and communication scripts for notifying family members — including templates for the hardest conversations.