What to do in the first 24 hours after a death.

If someone you love just died, this page is for you. Not a lecture. Not legalese. The actual hour-by-hour playbook from a licensed realtor who has been in the room when families face this. Take a breath. Read what is in front of you. Skip what does not apply.

First Hour

Confirm the death, secure the immediate scene, and pause every hard decision until the people you trust are with you.

Do this

Call 911 if the death is unexpected, sudden, or under any unusual circumstance
Police and emergency medical services need to confirm the death and document the scene if anything is not routine.
If the death was expected (hospice, nursing home, terminal illness), call the hospice nurse or attending physician first
They will pronounce the death and start the official paperwork. Many counties do not require 911 in expected hospice deaths.
Stay with the body until the appropriate professional arrives
Do not move the deceased. Do not start cleaning. Do not let well-meaning family rearrange anything.
Take a breath. You do not have to make any other decision in this hour.
Decisions made in the first 60 minutes are usually the ones families regret. Slow down.

Do NOT do these things yet

xPosting on social media before immediate family is told in person or by phone
xCalling distant relatives before close ones
xLetting anyone start removing personal items from the home

Hours 2 to 6

Notify the immediate inner circle. Engage the funeral home or coroner. Begin gathering the basic documents the next 48 hours will need.

Do this

Personally notify the immediate family (spouse, children, parents, siblings)
These calls happen in person or by phone, never by text or social media. Use the script below if it helps.
Contact a funeral home or, in unusual deaths, the coroner
They will arrange transportation of the body. You can choose a funeral home later if you have not picked one. Most funeral homes will hold the body without a contract.
Locate the deceased's ID, social security number, birth certificate, and a recent photo
The funeral home and the death certificate process need these.
Find out if the deceased was a veteran
Veterans qualify for free burial benefits, a flag, and military honors. The funeral home handles this if told.
Find any pre-arranged or pre-paid funeral contract
Many people pre-pay. Check the deceased's filing cabinet, safe, attorney, and email for any pre-arrangement paperwork.

Do NOT do these things yet

xSigning any funeral contract before sleeping on it if there was no pre-arrangement
xLetting any one family member become the sole decision-maker without input from the others
xSharing financial account access with anyone, even close family, this early

Hours 6 to 12

Wider notification. Start the death certificate process. Stop ongoing payments where possible.

Do this

Notify the wider family circle and very close friends
Stay in personal contact (phone or in-person). A general post can wait until everyone close has heard directly.
Contact the deceased's employer if they were working
They will need to stop payroll, address final wages, and process any group life insurance.
Order at least 10 certified copies of the death certificate via the funeral home
Every bank, brokerage, insurance company, and government agency wants an original certified copy. Ten is a starting number; some estates need 20.
Locate (do not yet contact) the deceased's attorney, financial advisor, accountant, and insurance agent
You will engage them tomorrow. Today, just write down their names and numbers in one place.
Take a phone-camera inventory of the home if you live elsewhere
Quick photos of every room create a visual record. Helpful for inventory, insurance, and family questions later.

Do NOT do these things yet

xClosing any bank account or moving any money
xForwarding any mail
xLetting anyone take anything from the home, even a stated keepsake

Hours 12 to 24

Stabilize the household. Set up a centralized record of decisions. Sleep.

Do this

Cancel anything that is genuinely urgent: weekly cleaners, planned travel, medical appointments
Most other cancellations can wait several days. Make a list of what to do tomorrow.
Lock the home if the deceased lived alone
Change locks if multiple people had keys and emotions are high. Family disputes after a death often escalate when access is uncontrolled.
Notify the post office to forward or hold mail
Critical financial mail will arrive in the coming weeks. You want one address receiving it.
Start a single Estate Notebook or shared document
Every call you make, every receipt, every expense, every conversation. One place. The next two months will be easier if you start the record now.
Eat. Drink water. Sleep.
The next day will be harder than today if you do not. There is nothing in the next 12 hours that requires you to be awake all night.

Do NOT do these things yet

xMaking any major financial decision
xPromising any specific item to any family member
xTrying to be strong for everybody else at the cost of yourself

Word-for-word scripts

The exact words you can borrow today

Notification call to a close family member

I have hard news. [Name] passed away [this morning / tonight / a few hours ago]. I want you to hear it from me. I am okay enough to talk if you want, or I can call you back in a little while. What feels better?

When someone asks what they can do

Honestly, I do not know yet. The best thing right now is just being on the phone with me for a few minutes. I will know more by tomorrow about meals, the service, and what people can help with. Can I text you a list when I have one?

When a relative wants to come into the home immediately

I appreciate you wanting to be here. I am asking everyone to give us 24 hours before anyone comes by, including family. I am not making any decisions about the house or anything in it tonight. I will let you know when it is the right time.

After 24 hours

The next 7 days have their own playbook

What we covered above is just the first day. The first week, the first month, and the first year each have their own steps. The full Family Estate Readiness Checklist walks you through every one.

The first month playbook Get the free checklist

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Important legal notice

Plan Your Passing is not a law firm. The information on this site is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, tax, medical, or professional advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this site or using any tool on it. Estate, probate, tax, and inheritance laws differ by country, state, province, county, and individual circumstance, and they change over time. You are solely responsible for confirming the laws that apply to you. Always consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before making any legal, financial, or tax decision regarding wills, trusts, beneficiaries, probate, real estate transfers, gifts, or end-of-life directives. The author, operators, and affiliates of this site disclaim all liability for actions taken or not taken based on its contents.