What practical things do I need to do when someone dies?

[MummyPigsBikiniBody]

I found out yesterday that my mum died the day before, the police found her after a neighbour was concerned by her dog barking.

She didn’t have a partner and she’s left myself and my little sister. She was only 56, so this has come as a shock - I didn’t think I’d be shouldering this responsibility for another 30 years given my Grandma is alive and well at 95.

So now I’m into practicality mode. Who needs what? Has anyone got some brilliant tips that they wish they’d been told before going through something similar? I’ve hesrd carrying a notebook around is good?

Thanks in advance... really appreciated.

https://www.bereavementadvice.org/globalassets/pdfs/bac/stepbyystepchecklist.pdf

So sorry for your loss, & the shock

Sorry, I fudged the link. Try this one;

www.bereavementadvice.org/topics/what-to-do-when-someone-dies/step-by-step-checklist/

Death certificate, will... does your council do a one stop shop... which notifies lots of places at once eg driving license etc.

You'll need to get bank and financial details... most importantly a will.

Yes notebook.

For funeral... you need to know what funds she had, see if will mentions any preference, and work out where she's going to be buried or cremated.

There's a site called the good funeral guide and should list good funeral directors

We were advised to get 6 copies of the death certificate, because every bank and so on wants to see an original, not a photocopy.

Take care of yourself, too. This can be a busy time (there's a lot of paperwork around death,) and it's a shock to you. Grief can manifest itself in challenging ways. Wishing you strength for the time ahead.

The checklist above is very good.

Go through your mums wallet and check for any credit/store cards as they will need dealing with. They will give you a 6m freeze while you sort out the estate and monies can be paid.

Any money you spend document it, and keep a detailed written log of any actions you and your sister take. My brother and I dealt with my mums estate and we just pinged each other emails as we dealt with various bits.

It’s not nice to think about but if you need to sell her home to release the equity for any debts- and all debts MUST be settled before any inheritances, then get it on the market ASAP.

Thank you everyone, this has been really helpful. I’m in head-down-keep-going mode which is sort of helping but I know when I stop for breath it’ll probably crash what’s happened.

Thanks again xxx