Pause. You do not have to do everything today.
Almost nothing in the first hours is truly urgent except care for the people present. The admin can wait until you have caught your breath.
The first steps, wherever you are
Before any country-specific paperwork, this is the part that is the same almost everywhere. Very little of it is urgent, and knowing which bits are is most of the battle.
The deadlines that actually bite
within 1 day
Check organ or body donation wishes (time-sensitive)Donation windows are very short — raise it immediately if relevant.
Every step, in order
Right now
The first hours. Mostly about people and care, not paperwork.
Check organ or body donation wishes (time-sensitive)
Time-sensitive · 1d
If the person wished to donate organs or their body to science, this is only possible for a short window and is usually arranged with the hospital or donation registry quickly.
Tell the people who need to hear it from you
The closest people should learn it directly, not from social media or a chain message. Beyond that, you can delegate.
The first week
Registering the death and arranging the funeral.
Find any funeral wishes or a prepaid funeral plan before arranging
Many people leave instructions, prepay a plan, or hold funeral insurance. Finding these first can save money and honour their wishes — and you do not want to discover a paid plan after paying again.
Secure their home, pets, and essentials
An empty home can be a target, perishables spoil, pets need care, and bills keep running.
Notify their employer (and ask about benefits owed)
Final pay, a workplace pension, life insurance "death in service", or owed holiday may be due to the estate — and HR can stop ongoing deductions.
The first month
Estate, notifications, and the official admin.
Monitor or redirect their post
Incoming mail tells you which institutions still need notifying — and unmonitored mail is a common route for identity theft of the deceased.
Cancel subscriptions and recurring payments
Streaming, memberships, software, and direct debits keep charging. Stopping them prevents wasted money and surfaces accounts you did not know about.
Later
Things with longer deadlines, and closing loose ends.
Memorialize or close online and social accounts
Dormant accounts can be hijacked, and active profiles can be painful for loved ones. Most major platforms have a process for the deceased.
Look after your own grief
The admin ends; grief does not run on a schedule. Support is not a luxury — it helps you function through the rest of this list too.