After a death, the ordinary demands of life continue. A child still needs to be picked up from school. The dog needs to be fed. A package sits on the porch, the heat runs in an empty house, and bills arrive addressed to someone who is no longer there.
Families often feel that everything must be handled at once. It does not. During the first two weeks, care for the people and animals who depended on the person who died, make the funeral arrangements, protect the home, and begin gathering reliable information. Most other estate matters can wait until the proper person has authority to act.
The First 48 Hours
Care for dependents and pets
Begin with those who cannot wait. If the person who died cared for a child, an older adult, a person with a disability, or a pet, arrange temporary care. Give the person taking over the necessary particulars: medications, school schedules, feeding instructions, house keys, and emergency contacts. The arrangement need only provide a safe plan for the next few days.
Notify family and others who need to know
Contact close family members and anyone who must respond promptly, such as the person’s employer or clergy. The first calls can be exhausting. Ask one trusted person to notify extended family and friends. Concentrate on those who should hear the news directly and those whose help will be needed.
Protect the home and property
If the person lived alone, secure the residence. Lock the doors and windows, bring in packages, check the heat and water, and ask someone to visit the property regularly. Keep necessary utilities and insurance in place while decisions remain pending.
Resist the impulse to begin sorting the house. A watch on a dresser or a box of photographs may carry deep personal meaning, but it may also be estate property. Do not remove or distribute belongings. If several people may have an interest in the estate, photograph the rooms and valuable items to record their condition.
Look for funeral instructions
Search for written instructions, prepaid arrangements, cemetery information, or the name of a preferred funeral home. Check the places where the person kept important papers: a desk drawer, filing cabinet, safe, or folder marked for the family.
A funeral director will usually help with the arrangements and the death record. Ask how to obtain certified death certificates and how many the family may need. The number depends on the accounts, insurance policies, and other property involved.
Find the will and trust documents
Look for the original will, any codicils, trust documents, and the name of the attorney who prepared them. The original may be at home, in a safe-deposit box, or in the attorney’s files.
Leave each document intact. Do not write on it, remove staples, or rearrange its pages. If the original will cannot be found, or if more than one document appears to be a will, consult a Pennsylvania estate attorney before proceeding.
The First Week
Keep a record from the beginning
Estate administration produces an unexpected amount of paper. Keep one notebook or secure electronic record rather than notes on envelopes and scraps of paper.
Record:
- The date, time, and subject of each important call.
- The name and telephone number of each person contacted.
- Bills, statements, and notices received.
- Expenses paid by family members.
- The location of documents and property.
- The names of banks, insurers, employers, and financial advisers.
Keep receipts with the record. Months later, a note showing who called the insurer and what the insurer requested may prove important.
Gather important documents
Begin with the records that are readily available and keep them together in a secure place. Look for:
- The original will, codicils, and trust documents.
- Recent bank, investment, and retirement-account statements.
- Life-insurance policies and annuity information.
- Deeds and property-tax records.
- Vehicle titles.
- Recent federal, state, and local tax returns.
- Marriage certificates, divorce records, and military discharge papers.
- Business-ownership and partnership documents.
The purpose is to learn what exists and where it is held, not to transfer or distribute it.
Contact the employer and insurers
An employer or union may have information about final pay, retirement benefits, and employer-provided life insurance. Insurers can explain their claim procedures. Record each claim number and the name of the person handling it.
Account ownership and beneficiary designations affect how property passes, but property outside probate may still be subject to Pennsylvania inheritance tax.
Confirm that Social Security has been notified
Funeral homes often report deaths to the Social Security Administration. Confirm that the report has been made. The Social Security Administration explains current eligibility rules for survivor benefits and the lump-sum death payment.
If a government or retirement payment arrives after the death, set the money aside. Do not spend it or send it back based on an assumption. Ask the paying agency or financial institution how it should be handled.
Preserve bills and financial notices
A stack of envelopes on the kitchen counter can make every bill appear urgent. They are not. Collect the bills, statements, and tax notices, and note when each arrived.
An expense that protects the home or prevents insurance from lapsing may need prompt attention; an unsecured debt may not. Relatives should not assume that they must pay the person’s debts. Before anyone uses estate funds, closes accounts, or changes automatic payments, determine who has authority to act.
What Not to Do Yet
A transfer made too soon may be difficult to undo. Until the estate has been evaluated and the proper person has authority:
- Do not distribute money or personal property.
- Do not use the person’s credit cards, debit cards, or online banking credentials.
- Do not close bank or investment accounts.
- Do not sell or transfer real estate or vehicles.
- Do not cancel property, automobile, or liability insurance without confirming that the coverage is no longer needed.
- Do not pay unsecured debts from personal funds merely because a bill has arrived.
- Do not assume that the person named as executor in the will already has authority over the assets.
- Do not assume that property outside probate is exempt from inheritance tax.
Preserve the property and records. Transactions can wait until the authority and consequences are clear.
The Second Week
Prepare a preliminary inventory
By the second week, the papers may reveal the outline of the estate: a checking account, an old retirement statement, a deed, an insurance policy, perhaps a loan no one knew existed.
List each asset and note:
- How it is titled.
- Whether it has a named beneficiary.
- Whether it has a joint owner.
- Its approximate value, if known.
- Where the supporting records are kept.
List known debts and recurring expenses separately. This is a working inventory for the personal representative or attorney, not a final judgment about ownership or tax liability.
Identify digital property
Some property leaves no paper trail. List known email accounts, cloud storage, social-media profiles, online businesses, cryptocurrency, and other digital assets. Preserve computers, phones, and written account information.
A password does not necessarily confer legal authority to use an account. The service’s terms, the estate-planning documents, and applicable law may restrict access.
Note the Pennsylvania inheritance-tax dates
Pennsylvania inheritance tax applies to many transfers at death, including some property that does not pass through probate. The rate generally depends on the beneficiary’s relationship to the person who died.
Under current Pennsylvania guidance, the tax becomes delinquent nine months after death. A five-percent discount applies to tax paid within three months. The family need not calculate the tax during the first two weeks, but these dates belong on the estate calendar. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue publishes current rates and filing information.
When to Consult an Estate Attorney
The need for legal assistance depends on the property, the will or trust, the debts and taxes, and the people involved. Legal advice is especially useful when:
- The estate includes a business or substantial investments.
- The original will is missing or unclear.
- A beneficiary is a minor or a person with a disability.
- Ownership, a beneficiary designation, or a tax obligation is uncertain.
- Family members disagree about the property or who should act.
- The debts may exceed the assets.
- The person owned real estate, including property in another state.
An early consultation can identify what must be done, who may do it, and what can wait.
For Now, Protect and Preserve
Settling an estate extends well beyond two weeks. For now, care for the people who need care, protect the home, gather the records, and write down what has been done. A careful record and patience will protect both the estate and the family responsible for it.
If you have questions about a loved one’s estate, McFall Law can explain the next steps and help determine what form of administration may be appropriate. Contact the firm to arrange a consultation.
This article provides general information for Pennsylvania residents. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Laws and procedures may change, and each estate presents different facts. Consult a qualified Pennsylvania attorney and tax adviser about your circumstances.