News, Articles & Links
6/21/2011What You Should do When a Loved One Dies
The following is a
checklist of matters to be considered following the death of a loved
one. We hope it is helpful. Please contact Debbie Verni, Harry Miller or Nicole Clouthier to schedule an appointment and clarify what legal action is now required to proceed with your loved one’s estate and to review your own estate plan.
- Secure and inventory your loved one’s personal effects, including keys, wallet, credit cards, cash.
- Notify family members.
- Make funeral and burial arrangements.
- If funeral was not paid for in advance then the funeral costs will need to be paid by you or another family member if funds are available to do so; if not, and your loved one has funds in their own name, tell the funeral director that payment will be made after the Will is probated.
- Contact the Social Security Administration (www.socialsecurity.gov) and any company that was paying your loved one a monthly pension. Inform them of your loved one’s death and request that they do not send the next monthly check. Funeral directors often times contact Social Security. Ask the funeral director if they have done so.
- Obtain Ten (10) Death Certificates from the funeral director.
- If your loved one did not live with you, change the locks of their residence. If they did live with you, make sure you know where all the keys are located. If you are unsure you have all the keys, then change the locks.
- Make sure all homeowner’s and car insurance policies are current.
- Call Herzog Law Firm at 518-465-7581, or click on the contact tab of herzoglaw.com and schedule an Estate Administration meeting with Attorney Debra A. Verni, Harry Miller or Nicole L. Clouthier to review legal actions needed to properly administer your loved one’s estate.
-
Your initial Estate Administration meeting should be scheduled within the first two to three weeks after the death of your loved one.
-
We will review income tax; estate tax and gift tax issues of your loved one’s estate as well as those that you need to know for your own estate plan.
-
After (or during) the meeting you will receive specific legal advice as to the actions necessary to conclude the administration of your loved one’s estate.
-
We will review and advise you on the actions you will need to take in order to put your own estate plan in order. These include revision of your Will and/or Trust, your Health Care Proxy, Living Will, Power of Attorney and Deeds.
-
We will give you advice regarding beneficiary designations of your own IRA, Qualified Retirement Plans, Annuities or Life Insurance.
