What to do when your spouse dies

Working through this list can help you figure out what to do when your spouse dies.

Some of these could catch surviving spouses by surprise, so it’s a good idea to know what to expect in case something happens.

Here’s what to do when a spouse dies, plus provide a few tips to help you prepare so you can prepare for this event and make things a little easier.

Learn what to do after someone dies. This guide has checklists for different situations, including if someone dies at home, at night, without a will, what to do with social security, if they died of natural causes or in their sleep.

When someone close dies, you're often in shock. Here’s a list of what to do which will help get you through this difficult time.

by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. “The experience of grief is powerful. So, too, is your ability to help yourself heal. In doing the work of grieving, you are moving […]

The passing of a spouse is a traumatic and deeply emotional experience that has led to the creation of the term "widow brain." What does it mean?

Widows and widowers may see their tax bill rise, even if their income declines.

What documents, information, and other papers do you need when someone dies? If you are the spouse or executor of the estate of a person who has passed away, there are many documents you will need to work through. Accounts to close, property and assets to distribute, bills to pay. What papers do you actually need?

When you learn of a friend's loss, your first instinct may be to reach out and offer your support. But what do you say when you don't know what to say? It can be difficult to find the right words in moments like this. Here are a few tips on what to text when someone dies, the how-to for composing your words of condolence.