What to do when someone dies

The work after a death is not a flat list. Almost every closure waits on the same two documents, and it is usually split badly across a family. This is an editable map you can share instead of repeating what has been done.

Use this template free Free, no account, opens in your browser.

Main focusAfter a deathBranchThe first few daysThoughtWho to notifyBranchAssets and debtsThoughtWho has been told

Built from the same cards and connections you edit inside HeadTidy.

What’s included

A first few days checklist, from registering the death to securing the home
A notification table with organisation, reference number, date contacted and status
An assets and debts table with values and where the paperwork sits
A digital accounts checklist, starting with the email address every reset runs through
A short list of what blocks what, so the order stops being guesswork

Two documents unblock almost everything else

Certified copies of the death certificate, and proof that you are the executor or personal representative, are what banks, pension providers, insurers and registries ask for. Order more certified copies than feels necessary at the start. Institutions frequently want an original rather than a scan, and each one you have to request later adds a week to whatever it was blocking.

Order matters more than effort

Bills are normally paid from an estate account, so opening one early stops the family from covering costs personally and arguing about it afterwards. Property and vehicle transfers usually wait for probate or its local equivalent. Working the notification table in the wrong order produces a lot of phone calls and very few closures.

Share the map instead of the burden

Most of the friction between siblings after a death is not disagreement, it is not knowing what has already been done. One reference number, one owner and one status per row removes almost all of it. Give every row a single named owner rather than assigning the whole job to the family.

Worked example

An executor lists fourteen organisations. Eleven of them need a certified certificate, which has not arrived. The map makes that visible in one look, so the useful task today is chasing the registry, not sending eleven emails that will each be answered with the same request.

What this template is not

It is an organising map, not legal advice. Probate thresholds, tax deadlines and the order of registration differ by country and change. Confirm what your situation actually requires with the local registry, probate service or an estate lawyer before relying on any date in the map.

How to use this template

Start
Register the death, order several certified copies, and confirm who the executor is.
Sort
Fill the notification table with account numbers, then work it in the order the blockers allow.
Move
Give every open row one named owner and share the map with whoever is helping.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do first when a parent dies?

Register the death and order several certified copies of the certificate, find the will and confirm the executor, and tell the employer or pension provider. Most other closures wait on the certificate, so it is the step that unblocks the rest.

How many copies of the death certificate do I need?

More than you expect. Banks, pension providers, insurers and registries often want an original rather than a copy, and requesting extras later delays whatever was waiting on them. Ordering several at registration is usually cheaper and faster.

Is this a legal document or legal advice?

No. It is an organising checklist. Estate law, probate thresholds and tax deadlines differ by country and change, so confirm the legal requirements with the official registry or an estate lawyer for your jurisdiction.