This is a contributor’s blogpost …

 

Different people react differently to death and it is common for us to go blank for a while after hearing the news. However, we all must deal with what follows next, setting aside some of the pain, grief, and sense of loss that accompanies a death in the family. To that end, here are five things that everyone should be ready to deal with after a death in the family, in spite of the situation’s grimness.

 

Be Sure of the News

 

If the deceased person was in a medical facility, then it is more than likely that the hospital gave you the call only after confirming the death beyond all doubt. On the other hand, if the death occurred at home, it is mandatory to call in the emergency services (9-1-1 will do) and have the body taken to an emergency room, where they can declare clinical death. In any case, until and unless death is declared by a certified medical examiner, getting that done should be your first order of priority in most situations.

 

Inform People of the News

 

Making calls to the deceased’s loved ones is never easy, but it’s the next step after a person is confirmed deceased. Inform the people closest to the deceased first and then call the others, including the office and co-workers, if and when applicable.

 

Make the Arrangements

 

Perhaps the toughest and the most demanding duty that we must all deal with are the funeral arrangements. The sense of loss is still so fresh and strong, but there’s no real time to grieve until the last rites have been properly performed. Thankfully, companies such as simplecremation.org make the process a lot simpler and quicker, as people in Dallas and Fort Worth can make all the cremation arrangements online via their website. They will even provide a free pickup and the essential death certificate after confirming the service.

 

Cancel Everything that Needs to be Canceled

 

Depending on who the deceased person was and what his/her lifestyle involved, a lot of regular services will likely need to be canceled. Some of the common ones are as follows, but there could be others as well.

• Water, gas, and electricity
• Social security checks (the penalties are severe for not reporting the death)
• Credit/debit cards

 

Handling the Financials

 

If the deceased individual had anything significant or of value, some common financial considerations to make are as follows.

• Finding the will and the executor of the will
• Taking the will to a city office for the process of probate
• Applicable dues must be paid by the successor/successors at times, in order to claim property
• The death certificate provided by the funeral house will need to be produced to claim an inheritance

 

While these five are the most important, there will likely be a lot of other duties and responsibilities that will need to be completed later, mostly concerning official changes to documents and continuing financial responsibilities. However, the most important step after the funeral should definitely involve taking some time out and grieving for your loss.