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© MORTL, Inc. MMXXVI. All rights reserved.Made for the living. Built for the inevitable.

Start here

Take the next three steps through death planning.

MORTL is built for people who are overwhelmed, grieving, confused, or starting from zero. Pick what is happening now. The matching path puts the work in order and tells you when state law or a licensed professional matters.

Last reviewed August 1, 2026. Public paths do not require an account.

Choose your path

What is happening right now?

A death happened

Someone just died

The first hours, days, and weeks in order. The crisis path is free and does not require an account.

  1. Get the legal pronouncement
  2. Choose body transport and care
  3. Protect the person, property, and paperwork
Open this path →

I am starting from zero

I need to plan ahead

Choose your situation and state. MORTL turns the work into a personal list you can finish one task at a time.

  1. Name decision-makers
  2. Find the documents you already have
  3. Check your state’s signing rules
Open this path →

Time may be short

I am the one dying

The medical, legal, financial, and family handoff tasks that matter most after a terminal diagnosis.

  1. Name who speaks for you
  2. Write down medical boundaries
  3. Give one person the working plan
Open this path →

I am helping

I am the executor or support person

Use the executor checklist for estate work or the provider directory when the next step requires a human professional.

  1. Confirm your legal role
  2. Secure records and property
  3. Build the deadline list
Open this path →

Use the right reference

The map, the law, the people, and the proof.

51 jurisdiction guides

Death certificates, probate, advance directives, disposition, taxes, and more.

The planning checklist

Documents, decisions, accounts, people, funeral wishes, and digital life.

Find professional help

Directory information for funeral, hospice, grief, financial, and other support.

Compare planning platforms

Understand which type of service solves which job before paying for anything.

Security and data handling

What MORTL saves, what it does not ask for, and how sharing works.

Sources and methodology

Primary sources, review cadence, editorial rules, and correction process.

Direct answers

Questions people ask when they are starting from zero.

Where do I start if death planning feels overwhelming?

Name what is happening today. If someone died, use the immediate-death path. If you are planning ahead, begin with the free planner. If you are dying, use the terminal-diagnosis path. Each route puts the next actions in order and links to the relevant state law guide.

Can I use MORTL without buying a legal package or talking to a salesperson?

Yes. MORTL public guidance, all 51 jurisdiction guides, the someone-just-died path, the terminal-diagnosis path, the checklist, and multiple planning tools can be used without a sales call. Public pages do not require an account. MORTL Premium is optional.

What should a younger adult do first?

Name an emergency contact and healthcare decision-maker, review beneficiaries on financial accounts, document where important records are kept, and write down funeral and digital-account wishes. The legal forms and signing rules depend on the state.

Does MORTL assume one religious or cultural approach to death?

No. MORTL explains legal and practical choices without treating one religious, cultural, family, or secular approach as the default. Personal rituals, body disposition, medical boundaries, and funeral wishes should be documented in the person’s own terms.

Is MORTL legal, medical, financial, or funeral-directing advice?

No. MORTL provides general education and organization tools. A person should verify requirements and decisions with the appropriate licensed professional or government office for their jurisdiction and circumstances.