The First Week After a Death: A Practical Household Information Checklist

Begin with immediate care and support

Focus first on people, not paperwork. Make sure children, dependent adults, and pets have safe care. Ask a trusted person to stay nearby, bring food, make calls, or take notes. If there are urgent medical or safety questions, contact the appropriate emergency service or qualified professional.

There is no single correct order for every family. Use the person’s circumstances, local requirements, and the guidance of the professionals involved.

Locate the household information

Find the materials that can help others understand the situation:

• Emergency binder or household continuity plan, plus its most recent update date.
• Identification, insurance information, employer or benefits contacts, and the location of important legal documents.
• A list of immediate family, close friends, religious or community contacts, and professionals who may need to be notified.
• Keys, vehicle information, home-access instructions, pet-care notes, and current medications or care routines for dependents.

Protect the household’s immediate operations

• Review the next housing, utility, insurance, childcare, and transportation needs so essential services are not accidentally interrupted.
• Set aside incoming mail and account notices. Avoid discarding documents until someone who understands the situation can review them.
• Make a simple log of calls, names, dates, and promised follow-ups. Grief makes details hard to retain.
• If the home will be empty, consider practical steps such as mail collection, pet care, and making sure trusted people can reach the household.

Use secure paths for accounts

Use the account map to identify providers and the safe location of credentials or recovery information. Do not rush to sign into accounts or make changes before understanding the provider’s rules, account ownership, and any professional guidance you need.

• Never rely on an unsecured document containing actual passwords, PINs, security answers, full account numbers, or recovery codes.
• Record where credentials and recovery information are safely held, then follow the provider’s official process for access, notification, or closure.

Give yourself permission to defer non-urgent decisions

You may need to make time-sensitive arrangements, but many financial, legal, property, and personal decisions can wait until the household has support and clearer information. Be cautious about pressure to make major commitments immediately.

Keep documents together, write down questions, and ask for help from trusted family members and appropriately qualified professionals.

A note on professional guidance

This checklist is organizational information, not legal, tax, financial, or medical advice. Requirements and available options can vary by state and by situation. For estate administration, benefits, account authority, medical questions, or tax matters, contact the relevant provider or qualified professional.

A household binder can make the first calls and next steps less opaque. It cannot replace care, grief support, or professional advice when those are needed.