DURING · FIRST STEPS AFTER A LOSS
Where do I even start?
Nobody prepares you for this. One step at a time is enough.
HOW TO USE THIS PAGE
One step, not the whole week.
Work down the first list. The second can wait until someone is with you.
RIGHT NOW
What needs to happen today
Tell the people closest first
Immediate family should hear it from you, not from a post.
Call a funeral home
They handle transport and the legal steps, and you may take your time choosing one.
Read the guide →Order the death certificates
Most families need ten to twelve certified copies; the funeral home can order them.
Read the guide →Secure the home
Lock up, tell the landlord if renting, and arrange care for pets or dependents.
THIS WEEK
The arrangements
Choose burial, cremation, or something else
Their wishes first, then the family's, then the budget.
Read the guide →Ask for the price list before you agree to anything
Federal law entitles you to an itemised list, and to decline any line on it.
Read the guide →Say no to what you do not want
Embalming is almost never required by law, whatever you may be told.
Read the guide →Write the obituary
Name, dates, who survives them, service details, and where to send donations.
Read the guide →