Some deaths are expected, to some extent, but they can often come out of the blue too. When a loved one dies unexpectedly, it can come as a huge shock that’s difficult to handle. However, while you’re dealing with this unexpected blow, you also have to keep going. Not only do you have your usual responsibilities to take care of, but you often need to help with making arrangements relating to the death at the same time. This can be a lot to deal with, and it can be a struggle to know where to start. If you’re not sure where to begin, here are some of the most important steps you can take.
Understand the Circumstances of the Death
Before you do anything else, you might want to first make sure that you understand the circumstances of the death. Sometimes when someone dies suddenly, it can take a while to understand what actually happened, especially when bits of information are being passed around different people. One of the reasons it’s important to establish this quickly is that you might want to consider the need for a wrongful death lawyer. Gathering as much evidence as you can of any negligence is important to do right away if you think there could be a case for someone to answer.
Make Funeral Arrangements
Who is responsible for organizing a funeral, cremation, memorial or other arrangements can vary depending on the family. Even if you’re not in charge of making arrangements, you might want to offer your assistance so that the responsibility doesn’t fall to one person. You can help in many ways, whether it’s by helping to find the right venue, writing a notice or message to send to people, or helping to choose the order of events, music, flowers or any other details.
Deal with Paperwork and Admin
When someone dies, there can be a lot of paperwork and admin to take care of. There are many people to contact to inform of the death, bills that need to be stopped, wills that need to be dealt with, and more. You can often help with this by contacting people, businesses and organizations. Having multiple copies of the death certificate can be necessary if you need to provide proof of the death. You might need to inform utilities providers, other service providers, banks, landlords or mortgage companies, and more.
Get Support
While there can be many things keeping you busy after the death of a loved one, it’s also important to take care of yourself. Be sure to get support when you need it so that you are not going through your grief alone. There are plenty of resources you can explore or people you can talk to. As well as speaking to family and friends, you might find it helpful to see a therapist or to join a support group for people experiencing grief.
The unexpected death of a loved one can be a huge shock, but there are things you can start doing to deal with the situation smartly.