3 Steps To Take After A Family Member Passes Away

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Man consoles woman after a family member passes away,

After a family member passes away, it leaves a life that needs closing out. It may be left to you, or you may have decided you wanted the responsibility to handle any personal and legal details. It can be stressful, but it will be something that needs doing. This article will cover three steps you should take following a family member’s passing.

Make Funeral Or Cremation Arrangements

One of the first major steps that you will have to work through is making certain funeral or cremation arrangements. Before you arrange anything, you should search through the paperwork to find out if there was any prepaid burial plan they sorted out. If it turns out that they didn’t, then it will be up to you and the family to decide the next steps.

You will need to find a service provider who can cremate the body or find a spot to bury the body. You should research how much this could cost and compare funeral providers to ensure you are getting the best service within your available budget.

You can find affordable cremation packages from ATX Cremation in Austin, Texas. They will allow you to choose only the services you need and plan your cremation online rather than at a physical funeral home. This gives the family the flexibility they need to coordinate a memorial service that fits their timeframe and budget during a difficult time.

Secure Assets

You should look up the deceased’s home and vehicle details. Before delving further into what to do with the physical assets, you should ensure that they are being cared for. For example, with the property, you should ensure somebody is watering the plants and dealing with mail in the short term. It will also be a good idea to secure any valuables within the home, such as jewelry or cash, and lock them up somewhere. Try to create a list of what’s there to ensure nothing goes missing.

With the car, you should ensure you are aware of where it is, and that everything is working with it. If it was the wish of the family member, or it’s something that needs to be done in the short-term, then it may be worth looking into transferring a car title after they pass away.

This will need to be done to allow any beneficiaries to keep the vehicle, have it gifted afterwards, or even sold. It is sadly not as simple as just giving someone the keys. There are steps to take and will processes to follow. If the vehicle is a part of a probated estate or no probate, then the steps will differ. That is why it’s important to seek legal advice regarding the will and the law, to ensure everything is being done correctly.

Provide Additional Care

Lastly, you should ensure you are providing additional care to those that need it. This could include family members who were close to the deceased and pets that the deceased used to care for. It’s possible that someone may have made a plan that sets out what happens with a pet in the case of death.

This plan may set out who is to care for the pet, alongside some money to do so, or it may outline details on a pet trust or relevant charity. Whatever it is, you should ensure you provide as much additional care as possible.

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