These are the questions people type into a search bar at 2am after a death. Short answers here, full walkthroughs above.
Who do I call first when someone dies at home?+
If the death was unexpected and they were not on hospice, call 911. A medical professional has to officially pronounce the death, and you should not move the body before responders arrive. If they were on hospice, call the hospice number instead: the team will come, pronounce the death, and walk you through the next steps. In a hospital or care facility, the staff handles the pronouncement and will ask which funeral home or cremation provider to call.
How many death certificates do I need?+
Order more certified copies than you think you need. Ten is a sane starting point. Banks, life insurance companies, the DMV, pension plans, and title companies each tend to want their own certified copy, and reordering later takes weeks. The funeral home or cremation provider usually orders them for you; you just tell them how many.
When do I notify Social Security?+
Usually you don't have to: the funeral home reports the death to the Social Security Administration as part of its paperwork. Confirm they did. Any Social Security payment received for the month of death or later has to go back, and a surviving spouse or dependent may qualify for survivor benefits, so it's worth a call to the SSA either way.
Am I responsible for their debts?+
Generally no. Debts belong to the estate, not to the family. Creditors get paid from what the person left behind, and if the estate can't cover everything, most unsecured debts go unpaid. The exceptions: debts you co-signed, joint accounts, and some situations in community property states. Do not let a debt collector talk you into paying from your own pocket before you know whether you owe anything at all.
How fast do I have to make funeral decisions?+
Slower than it feels. The body can be held at the funeral home or the county facility while you decide, and nothing is legally required from you in the first hours. You can take a day to breathe, compare prices, and ask another family member to help before you sign anything. The Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule requires providers to give you prices over the phone, so use it.
See the full first-week checklist →What if I can't afford the funeral?+
You have options, and none of them make you a bad family member. Direct cremation is the least expensive route by a wide margin, while the median full funeral runs about $8,300 before the cemetery. Ask your county about indigent burial or cremation assistance, check veterans benefits if they served, and know that crowdfunding a funeral is common, not shameful.
Do I need a lawyer to settle the estate?+
Not always. Small estates often qualify for a simplified affidavit process instead of full probate, and the threshold depends on your state. Larger estates, estates with real estate in more than one state, or any family disagreement are where a probate attorney earns their fee. Your state guide spells out the small estate limit and the probate steps where you live.
Find your state's rules →