10 Useful Tips for Surviving Spouses
July 31, 2012 By Anderson, Dorn & Rader, Ltd.
The death of a spouse ranks at the top of a list of stressful lifetime events. If you survive your spouse, you’ll need to make sure you take good care of yourself. Most likely, for the first few weeks, you may be in a constant state of confusion, running on autopilot. Here are some tips to help you during the initial aftermath of your spouse’s death.
1. Take time to grieve. You lost your best friend and your lifelong companion. You may be in shock, even if you knew that death was imminent because of a terminal illness.
2. Rely on your friends and family. Your friends and family love you and will want to help you.
3. Make funeral arrangements. Again, have someone assist you so the right questions are asked and addressed.
4. Within four to six weeks you should talk to an estate planning attorney. You’ll need to understand your estate planning rights and duties.
5. Probate your deceased spouse’s will, if a probate is necessary.
6. Once you recover from the initial shock, determine the status of your financial affairs. If your deceased spouse took care of all of the finances, you need to take charge and see where he or she left off.
7. Request several certified copies of your deceased spouse’s death certificate. You’ll need to give copies to others on an ongoing basis.
8. Find a certified public accountant. Your estate planning attorney may be able to recommend one who has the proper training and experience to deal with catastrophic events.
9. Contact employers. You need to contact your spouse’s former employer if he or she was employed to notify the company of your spouse’s death. There may be retirement or group life insurance benefits for which you will need to apply.
10. Contact the Social Security Administration if you’re the beneficiary of Social Security benefits. If your spouse was receiving social security, it will be necessary to close those payments to avoid serious penalties.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bradley Anderson
Experienced estate planning attorneys Reno NV of the Anderson Dorn & Rader Ltd offers estate planning and business planning resources to residents of Reno NV.
Copyright Anderson, Dorn & Rader, Ltd.
More information about Anderson, Dorn & Rader, Ltd.
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ and should be discussed with an expert and/or lawyer. For specific technical or legal advice on the information provided and related topics, please contact the author.
2. Rely on your friends and family. Your friends and family love you and will want to help you.
3. Make funeral arrangements. Again, have someone assist you so the right questions are asked and addressed.
4. Within four to six weeks you should talk to an estate planning attorney. You’ll need to understand your estate planning rights and duties.
5. Probate your deceased spouse’s will, if a probate is necessary.
6. Once you recover from the initial shock, determine the status of your financial affairs. If your deceased spouse took care of all of the finances, you need to take charge and see where he or she left off.
7. Request several certified copies of your deceased spouse’s death certificate. You’ll need to give copies to others on an ongoing basis.
8. Find a certified public accountant. Your estate planning attorney may be able to recommend one who has the proper training and experience to deal with catastrophic events.
9. Contact employers. You need to contact your spouse’s former employer if he or she was employed to notify the company of your spouse’s death. There may be retirement or group life insurance benefits for which you will need to apply.
10. Contact the Social Security Administration if you’re the beneficiary of Social Security benefits. If your spouse was receiving social security, it will be necessary to close those payments to avoid serious penalties.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bradley Anderson
Experienced estate planning attorneys Reno NV of the Anderson Dorn & Rader Ltd offers estate planning and business planning resources to residents of Reno NV.
Copyright Anderson, Dorn & Rader, Ltd.
More information about Anderson, Dorn & Rader, Ltd.
View all articles published by Anderson, Dorn & Rader, Ltd.
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ and should be discussed with an expert and/or lawyer. For specific technical or legal advice on the information provided and related topics, please contact the author.
