What Documents Do I Need To Gather After a Loved One Dies?
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March 22, 2025
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In the midst of grief, there are important tasks that need to be handled and without the proper documentation, it can be a long and difficult process to settle all aspects of your loved one’s personal and financial affairs. The following is a comprehensive list of documents – not all of these will apply – but by grouping them by type, you can get a better handle on what will be necessary for your specific situation.
Personal Information
Birth Certificate: The birth certificate of your loved one may be needed for insurance policy claims. If they have dependent children who are minors or disabled, you may need copies of their birth certificates to claim certain benefits on their behalf. If you can’t find them, you can obtain copies of birth certificates in the counties where they were born.
Death Certificate: Several copies of the death certificate will be necessary to notify government agencies, close accounts and for insurance claims. Many tasks require this document, such as settling life insurance claims, closing bank accounts, and notifying government agencies. Ensuring you have multiple copies of these certificates can save time and reduce stress during a challenging period.
Marriage Certificate: If it is your spouse who has passed away, you might need copies of your marriage certificate to obtain certain benefits.
Personal Identification Documents: Gather your loved one’s driver’s license (keep an eye out for any organ or tissue donation indicators), passport or immigration papers as well as their Social Security card. If you can’t find the Social Security card, you can find their Social Security Number on other types of records such as previous tax returns.
Military Discharge Papers: To claim veterans’ benefits, you’ll need a copy of your loved one’s honorable discharge papers (DD214 form) which will indicate their branch of service, dates served and rank. Copies of military service records can be obtained through the National Archives.
Legal Documents
Will and Trust: Locate any original will and trust documents as these will illustrate your loved one’s wishes on how their assets will be managed and distributed.
Power of Attorney: While power of attorney and any advance health care directives ceases upon death, information contained by them may help the executor better understand their wishes regarding their finances, health care and even final disposition when they are laid to rest.
Court Documents: Look for any court documents such as a legal name change, prenuptial agreement, divorce or adoption papers.
Insurance Policies
Insurance Policies: To initiate claims, locate any life, health, property or accidental insurance policies, as these documents will explain coverage, beneficiaries and more. Your loved one may have had additional insurance that may not be as obvious such as workers’ compensation or pension insurance, funeral insurance, mortgage or credit card insurance, vehicle insurance and more.
Personal Finance Documents
Deeds and Titles: Gather real estate property documents such as mortgage notes, deeds, appraisals, inspections and property tax records. Gather registrations and titles for any automobiles, motorcycles, RVs or boats.
Bank and Investment Statements: Obtain the most recent statements for all accounts and note their beneficiaries. Take note of balances, direct deposits and automatic payments that enter and exit the accounts. Examples include checking, savings, certificates of deposit, retirement accounts like a 401k or IRA, cash management accounts, stocks, bonds, annuities, bank safety deposit boxes and more.
Benefit Documents: Gather any documents regarding pension plans, profit-sharing plans, disability payments or veterans benefits.
Tax Return Information: Locate your loved one’s income tax return for the current and previous year. This is helpful to see the documents that were submitted and accounts you might not be aware of.
Bills and Debt: Aside from seeing automatic payments coming out of a checking or savings account, look for bills or statements in the mail for credit cards, medical bills, mortgage payments, utilities and any other outstanding or recurring debt. This will help you to manage future payments, close accounts and notify appropriate parties.
Contacts and Passwords
Contact Information: Gather the names and contact information for family and friends who need to be notified about your loved one’s passing. Also, look for the names and contact information for professionals they worked with during their lifetime, such as doctors, lawyers, accountants or retirement advisors.
User Access and Passwords: Identify devices such as computers or cell phones you will need access to. Find out the usernames and passwords for accounts such as personal email, bank accounts, social media platforms, subscriptions and more. You can then reset the password and determine how to best handle the future of those accounts.
Having a list such as this to reference while trying to gather important documents can be helpful in providing attorneys, probate, financial organizations and more with the information necessary to settle your loved one’s affairs. Steps After Life can help you navigate this process so you can have peace of mind that all accounts have been handled properly. Contact us at (888) 557-2083.