When you have experienced a death of a loved one and you are left with responsibilities but do not know where to begin.<\/p>\n
Here is general list of things that you and your family may need to take care of:<\/p>\n
Probate is the legal process of executing a will. You\u2019ll need to do this at a county or city probate court office. Probate court makes sure that the person\u2019s debts and liabilities are paid and that the remaining assets are transferred to the beneficiaries. Contact an attorney regarding estate qualifications.\u00a0 Some may qualify as small estates; others may leave everything to a spouse and will resolve quickly.<\/p>\n
These include cellphone, streaming services, cable and internet.<\/p>\n
You have a couple of options on how to deal with your family member\u2019s passport. You do not have to return it; you can keep it as a memento, with the stamps on its pages reminding you of past adventures. If you\u2019re worried about the possibility of identity theft, mail the passport to the federal government along with a copy of the death certificate and have it officially canceled. If you want the canceled passport returned, include a letter requesting that be done. You can also request the government destroy the passport after it\u2019s canceled.<\/p>\n
If the deceased person was the sole owner of a bank account, the bank will release funds to the person named beneficiary once it learns of the account holder\u2019s death. Many banks let their customers name a beneficiary or set the account as Payable on Death (POD) or Transferable\u00a0on Death (TOD) to another person. You\u2019ll need to show the bank a death certificate to get the funds released. If the owner of the account didn\u2019t name a beneficiary or POD, things get more complicated. The executor will be responsible for getting the funds to repay creditors, pay bills and divide funds according to the dead person\u2019s will.<\/p>\n
This removes the deceased\u2019s name from the records of the\u00a0department of\u00a0motor\u00a0vehicles and prevents identity theft. Contact the\u00a0agency\u00a0for specific instructions, but you\u2019ll need a copy of the death certificate. Keep a copy of the canceled driver\u2019s license in your records. You may need it to close or access accounts that belonged to the deceased.<\/p>\n
Contact customer service and tell the representative that you\u2019re closing the account on behalf of a deceased relative who had a sole account. You\u2019ll need a copy of the death certificate to do this, too. Keep records of accounts you close and inform the executor of any outstanding balances on the cards. Credit bureaus, as part of their regular reporting process,\u00a0will also send card issuers an alert that your relative has died. But if you want credit accounts notified faster, contact them directly. Be sure to cut up your dead loved one\u2019s credit cards, so they aren\u2019t lost or stolen.<\/p>\n
\u200bIf the credit card account is shared with another person who intends to keep using it, keep the account open but notify the issuing bank your relative has died so the deceased\u2019s name\u00a0can be removed\u00a0from the account. Destroy any cards with their name on them to prevent theft and identity fraud.<\/p>\n
Contact providers to end coverage for the deceased on home, auto and health insurance policies, and ask that any unused premium be returned.<\/p>\n
You can delete social media accounts, but some survivors choose to turn them into a memorial for their loved one instead. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram all allow a deceased person\u2019s profile to remain online, marked as a memorial account. On Facebook, a memorialized profile stays up with the word \u201cRemembering\u201d in front of the deceased\u2019s name. Friends will be able to post on the timeline. Whether you choose to delete or memorialize, you\u2019ll need to contact the companies with copies of the death certificate. TikTok does not offer a memorial option for a deceased user\u2019s account.<\/p>\n
To prevent\u00a0identity theft\u00a0and fraud, shut down the deceased\u2019s email account. If the person set up a funeral plan or a will, she may have included log-in information so you can do this yourself. If not, you\u2019ll need copies of the death certificate to cancel an email account. The specifics vary by email provider, but most require a death certificate and verification that you are a relative or the estate executor.<\/p>\n