What to Do When Someone Dies

After the death of a loved one, the volume of decisions and responsibilities can feel overwhelming. This article provides a comprehensive, step-by-step checklist to help surviving family members navigate what needs to be done from the moment of death through the weeks and months that follow the funeral. Organized by urgency rather than strict chronology, it covers immediate actions, funeral planning, legal and financial responsibilities, and practical tasks related to the deceased’s home, accounts, and personal affairs. Designed primarily for close survivors but useful for anyone offering support, the guide brings clarity and structure to a difficult time, helping families focus on what matters most while ensuring essential details are not overlooked.

How Funeral Directors Can Help a Family

A funeral director can be one of your most important allies in the days and weeks after a loved one's death. Whether the funeral was prepared for years in advance, or the death was unexpected and you're making all the arrangements in a grief-stricken hurry, there's so much you can lean on a funeral director for. Here are eight important tasks a funeral director helps a family with.

How to Qualify for Bereavement Flights

There was a time when most airlines offered bereavement flights, a discounted fare for those needing last minute flights to attend the funeral of an immediate family member. Most airlines discontinued bereavement flights around 2004 but a few airlines still offer them for attending a funeral or to visit a loved one who is near death.