What are the first steps to take after someone dies?
In the first days after a death, you need to take several immediate steps: have a medical professional confirm and certify the death, contact a funeral home to arrange transport, designate one family member as the coordinator, and begin documenting key details such as time of passing, provider contacts, and any immediate arrangements. You will also need to notify close family, the employer of the deceased, and relevant institutions. This guide walks you through each step so nothing is missed during an overwhelming time.
If the death happens at home and is unexpected, call the local emergency number; the responders will guide you through what happens next. If it happens in a hospital, hospice, or care home, the staff handle the medical confirmation and will explain the immediate steps. Beyond that, very little has to happen in the first hours — take the time you need before making calls.
Who do you need to notify when someone dies?
After confirming the essentials, begin notifying close relatives, employers, and key institutions. In the Nordic countries, the population register is typically updated once the death is officially certified, and many public agencies learn of the death that way — but banks, insurance companies, pension providers, landlords, utilities, and subscription services usually need to be contacted directly by the family or the estate. Keep a running list of who you've informed and what's pending, and note the reference numbers from each call. Many people find who-to-notify-after-death lists online, but Solace Care can turn those lists into structured tasks that can be shared and checked off collaboratively, so two people never repeat the same call.
How do you get a death certificate and handle the paperwork?
In some countries the funeral home or attending clinician usually arranges the death certificate. Request several certified copies — different organizations often require originals, and banks, insurers, and pension providers each tend to ask for their own. Alongside the death certificate, gather the documents institutions most often request: identification for the person handling the estate, and any will, insurance policies, and account statements you can locate. Upload digital copies to Solace Care for safekeeping and easy sharing with banks, insurers, or pension providers. If you're unsure how to get a death certificate, Solace Care guides you through what's required and helps you to get relevant support.
What can wait until after the funeral?
Not everything is urgent, and knowing what can wait protects your energy. The estate inventory, dividing the inheritance, selling or clearing the home, and sorting through personal belongings can all wait until the funeral is behind you. A common pitfall is paying the deceased's bills from your own pocket in the first week — contact the bank first, because ongoing costs are normally handled through the estate, and the bank will explain how funeral invoices and essential bills are dealt with. Another is cancelling accounts and subscriptions before you have collected the statements and records you will need for the estate paperwork; close things down in an orderly sequence rather than all at once.
How do you look after yourself in the first days?
Grief and administration both take more energy than most people expect, and the first days are not the time to do everything alone. Let one person coordinate, but share out individual tasks — calls, the obituary, practical arrangements — among family and friends who ask how they can help. Eat, sleep, and accept that concentration will be poor; write things down instead of trusting memory. The goal of the first days is not to finish the paperwork, only to keep it from piling into chaos.
For step-by-step guidance and secure digital tools, visit app.solace.care to learn more.
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Pacing the first few days matters. Taking things one calm step at a time protects both the paperwork and the people doing it.
