When a loved one dies, there are several responsibilities that you need to discharge. It can be confusing and difficult, especially if the deceased was an immediate family member, but our modern life requires us to do some things so that everything runs smoothly. To help you out, here is a quick guide on what you should be doing:
Get a Formal Declaration of Death
If you are there when the death occurs or you find the deceased, then you need to ask for the formal declaration of death. This needs to come from a medical professional. If they died in a hospital, this should be easy. But if they died at home, then you need to call emergency services to look at the scene and transport the body to a hospital and then the morgue for a formal declaration.
Inform the Necessary People
People will have to know about the situation. You need to make calls to other loved ones, family, and even their work about their death. If the deceased was older, this can be simple since their peers are few and far between. Younger people might have more friends who you need to inform. An obituary will serve as a public announcement of the death and can make it easy to inform those that need to come to the funeral.
Burial Arrangements
Your loved one needs to be put to rest. They most likely had an arrangement for how they wished for this to happen. If they did not, then you will need to make decisions. You might also need to pay for all of it if they did not make any arrangements about things. For this situation, it is always good to remember that not everything the funeral home suggests is necessary. Take note of your budget and consider what you think the deceased would have wanted.
Handle the Legal Side of Things
After the burial, there are some things you need to wrap up when it comes to the legal side of things. Mainly, this involves the deceased will and testament. Their lawyers should be able to read it to you and you only need to follow it to the letter. If they do not have a will, you might need to go to probate court to handle things. The transfer of assets will be necessary, as well as the payment of any liabilities that the deceased left.
One special case is when the death was accidental. You might need to file a wrongful death lawsuit to get the right compensation. It should be easy to find a wrongful death lawyer in Long Beach and other cities who will tell you about your chances and the things you should do.
Death is inevitable. The guide above should be able to help you know what to do when it comes a loved one passes away. During such a trying time, you need to stay calm and focused, so you can make good decisions for your deceased loved one and the surviving family members.
