Initiate Probate or Trust Administration: Contact the decedent’s estate planning attorney
to retrieve the original will and trusts. The named personal representative (executor) must
initiate probate to obtain Letters Testamentary, while the successor trustee must begin trust
administration.
Access Safe Deposit Boxes: State laws dictate access to safe deposit boxes upon death. Some
jurisdictions freeze the box immediately, requiring a court order or the presence of a bank officer
to inspect it for a will or burial instructions.
Notify the Social Security Administration: Contact the SSA (1–800–772–1213) to report
the death and stop monthly payments. Any payments deposited in the month of death or later
must be returned. Surviving spouses or children may apply for survivor benefits.
Claim Life Insurance and Employment Benefits: Contact life insurance providers to request
claims packages. Reach out to the decedent’s employer to secure unpaid salary, commissions,
pension benefits, or company-sponsored life insurance.
Secure Veteran Benefits: If the decedent was a veteran, notify the Department of Veterans
Affairs (DVA) to arrange for military honors, a headstone, or burial in a national cemetery.