After the Death of a Loved One, Some Decisions Can — and Should — Wait

Mutual of Omaha

Losing a loved one can be heart-wrenching. But couple that with handling funeral arrangements and personal affairs, and it can be overwhelming.

“When you’ve lost a spouse or partner, it affects every part of your day-to-day life,” says Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University in Detroit. “It’s such a reorganization of who you are. It’s like taking things and shaking them up.”

Lichtenberg should know. He has been widowed twice.

Following the death of a loved one, Lichtenberg says, people feel pressured: “Everything just got shaken up, and now they feel pressure to reorganize their life and put it back together.” It takes time for the surviving party to get reorganized, Lichtenberg says, adding, “There’s a vulnerability that comes with that.”

In the midst of grief, it’s essential to take your time and seek second and third opinions regarding major decisions, especially financial decisions. “If you rush, you are really vulnerable and you’re not thinking clearly,” Lichtenberg says. “You can get yourself into some predicaments.”

Here’s a quick guide to decisions you need to make right away after the death of a loved one, and what can — and should — wait until you’ve worked through some of the grief.

Decisions you’ll need to make quickly

Arrange for organ donation. If your loved one wanted to donate organs, or make a whole body donation, let hospital staff know immediately. Organ donation is time-sensitive.

Secure property. Lock your loved one’s home and vehicles. If you’re the appointed executor for the estate, consider changing the locks on the home, especially if several people might have keys.

Arrange the next steps for your loved one. Unless your loved one made prearranged plans, you might consider:

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