{"id":11086,"date":"2026-01-03T11:27:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T11:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/?p=11086"},"modified":"2026-01-22T14:20:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T14:20:46","slug":"what-to-do-when-a-loved-one-dies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/what-to-do-when-a-loved-one-dies\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Do When A Loved One Dies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"personal-injury-img-box fr\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3056 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/9320-1.jpg\" alt=\"Image of Estate planning\" width=\"383\" height=\"218\" \/><\/div>\n<h2>INTRODUCTION<\/h2>\n<p>The passing of a loved one is a soul-shocking event. Here at Stephens Fiddes McGill ; Associates, P.C., we recognize that this is a time of grief, confusion, and a general feeling of being lost in the world. We have prepared this information to help you navigate and find some difficult items. It outlines what you should be doing in the upcoming days, weeks, and months. These efforts will interface with your thought processes, and this information is presented as a checklist to turn to for helping you focus on moving forward as best you can.<\/p>\n<h2>WHAT DO I DO NOW?<\/h2>\n<p>This is the most common first question. Call us. We are here to help with compassion and knowledge of all estate type questions. Most cases do not need to be probated to resolve estate issues. Depending on the type and amount of property and debts, and how those are titled or beneficiaries, estates can be resolved without doing anything. Some estates can be resolved using non-probate affidavits of heirship. And if those methods are not available, we can guide you through the probate process.<\/p>\n<h2>GATHERING DOCUMENTS<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1475\" data-end=\"2097\">After you call, an appointment will be made to discuss your estate matters with a seasoned, experienced attorney. To assist the attorney, he or she will need a variety of documents. If you\u2019re not sure where any of these are, check with your lawyer, CPA, family members, and friends to see if they have them. If you\u2019re still missing some after checking with these individuals, search your loved one\u2019s file cabinets, personal safe, and bank safe deposit box. In a worst-case scenario, you may need to contact legal or business entities, such as the city clerk for a marriage license or a doctor\u2019s office for medical records.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2099\" data-end=\"2167\">These are the documents you\u2019ll need after your loved one passes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Birth certificate<\/li>\n<li>Death certificate<\/li>\n<li>Will and Trust, if a trust exists<\/li>\n<li>Marriage certificate<\/li>\n<li>Most recent financial account records, including checking and savings accounts, loan accounts, and investment accounts like trusts<\/li>\n<li>Real estate records, including deeds and lease agreements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>456 Fulton\u00a0 \u2022 Suite 222 \u2022 Peoria, Illinois 61602Telephone: (309) 637-8667 \u2022 Facsimile: (309) 637-1106 Sunset Plaza \u2022 2920 Court \u2022 Suite B \u2022 Pekin, Illinois 61554\u00a0 Telephone: (309) 353-5297<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"128\" data-end=\"190\">Other titles of property, including for cars, boats, and RVs<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"193\" data-end=\"316\">Recent credit report from one of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) that list outstanding debts<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"319\" data-end=\"366\">Military service records and discharge papers<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"369\" data-end=\"406\">The last three years of tax returns<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"409\" data-end=\"429\">Insurance policies<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"432\" data-end=\"509\">Documents evidencing any tax-deferred assets, such as 401(k), IRAs, Pension<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"512\" data-end=\"634\">Evidence of debt, such as mortgage statements, car loan statements, personal loan statements, and credit card statements<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"637\" data-end=\"803\">A list of names and addresses of all surviving children, and if a child has predeceased, the name and addresses of all of the deceased child\u2019s surviving descendants<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"805\" data-end=\"886\">You will need to bring those documents with you when you meet with your attorney.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"893\" data-end=\"934\">OTHER COMMON QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION<\/h2>\n<h3 data-start=\"936\" data-end=\"955\">SOCIAL SECURITY<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"957\" data-end=\"1118\">Upon any death of any individual, the funeral director is obligated to report the death to the Social Security Administration (SSA) for you. Upon that reporting:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"1122\" data-end=\"1149\">SSA will notify Medicare.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1152\" data-end=\"1218\">Any Social Security benefits the person was receiving will stop.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1221\" data-end=\"1281\">You must return any payment for the month the person died.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1284\" data-end=\"1369\">You should contact Social Security about your right to receive survivor\u2019s benefits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"1376\" data-end=\"1396\">DRIVER\u2019S LICENSE<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1398\" data-end=\"1450\">Contact the Illinois Secretary of State\u2019s office to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"1454\" data-end=\"1489\">Cancel the person\u2019s license or ID<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1492\" data-end=\"1593\">If any vehicles are in the deceased\u2019s name only, transfer the title of any vehicle the person owned<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"1600\" data-end=\"1622\">INCOME TAX RETURNS<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1624\" data-end=\"1793\">If tax returns were required in the past, you must file the person\u2019s final income tax returns. Include all unreported income the person earned up to their date of death.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1800\" data-end=\"1813\">PASSPORTS<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1815\" data-end=\"1986\">You can return the person\u2019s passport to the Department of State (DOS) for cancellation. Google \u201cHow do I cancel the passport of a deceased relative?\u201d for instructions.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"1990\" data-end=\"2026\">This helps prevent identity theft.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2029\" data-end=\"2113\">The DOS will send the canceled passport back if you want it, or they can destroy it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"95\" data-end=\"113\">ELECTION OFFICE<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"115\" data-end=\"223\">Contact the local election office to cancel the person\u2019s voter registration. This helps prevent voter fraud.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"230\" data-end=\"261\">VETERANS OF MILITARY SERVICE<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"263\" data-end=\"354\">If the person was a veteran, you can contact the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) about:<\/p>\n<div class=\"personal-injury-img-box fr\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3056 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3177-1.jpg\" alt=\"Image of Estate planning\" width=\"383\" height=\"218\" \/><\/div>\n<ul class=\"left-img-ul\">\n<li data-start=\"358\" data-end=\"375\">Burial benefits<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"378\" data-end=\"416\">Death benefits and survivor benefits<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"419\" data-end=\"444\">Veterans life insurance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"446\" data-end=\"494\">You must notify the VA to cancel these benefits:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"left-img-ul\">\n<li data-start=\"498\" data-end=\"512\">Compensation<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"515\" data-end=\"524\">Pension<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"527\" data-end=\"538\">Education<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"541\" data-end=\"549\">Health<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"551\" data-end=\"687\">If the person was receiving military-related benefits, report the death to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS). They will:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"691\" data-end=\"722\">Stop monthly pension payments<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"725\" data-end=\"794\">Send forms for the Survivor Benefit Plan if the person was enrolled<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 data-start=\"801\" data-end=\"822\">SOCIAL MEDIA SITES<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"824\" data-end=\"890\">Contact social media sites to close or memorialize those accounts.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"897\" data-end=\"922\">FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"924\" data-end=\"1275\">Report the person\u2019s death to banks, credit card companies, credit bureaus, and other financial organizations. Remove them as the co-owner and beneficiary of your financial accounts. You may wish to be the sole owner or add a new joint owner, such as an adult child. Also contact utilities and places where the person had memberships and subscriptions.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"1282\" data-end=\"1303\">INSURANCE POLICIES<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1305\" data-end=\"1397\">Cancel insurance policies solely in your partner\u2019s name and remove them from joint policies.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"1404\" data-end=\"1426\">CHILDREN IN COLLEGE<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1428\" data-end=\"2009\">If you have children attending a college or university, contact the school\u2019s financial aid office. Your children may qualify for financial support, even if they weren\u2019t eligible before your spouse died. If they have any student loans, also contact those financial institutions; they may reduce or forgive the debt. Lastly, be sure your child\u2019s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is filed for the following school year. Even if your child didn\u2019t qualify for student aid prior to your partner\u2019s passing, they may be eligible now that your financial picture has changed.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"2181\" data-end=\"2215\">FINANCIAL ADVISOR<\/h2>\n<p>If you don\u2019t already have one, consider working with a financial planner. This is an especially important step if your spouse\u2019s death will have a major impact on your finances due to lost income from their job or work-related benefits they received. A financial professional will help you create a new daily living budget and make recommendations on how to trim your cost of living and save for the future.<\/p>\n<div class=\"personal-injury-img-box fr\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3056 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2147764253-2.jpg\" alt=\"Image of when a loved one dies\" width=\"300\" height=\"449\" \/><\/div>\n<h2>ESTATE PLANNING<\/h2>\n<p>You will want to talk to an attorney about updating your estate planning documents, such as your Will and Power of Attorney. Depending on how they were drafted, you may not need to make any changes, but it is prudent to have these reviewed to see if changes should be made to best protect your assets and how you want those assets to be distributed, and if you want to make changes to appointments you\u2019ve made, such as your Executor in your Will and Agents for your Power of Attorneys.<\/p>\n<h2>GRIEF<\/h2>\n<p>Reach out for help if you\u2019re having trouble coping with your grief. Even when we\u2019re surrounded by friends and family immediately after the death of a loved one, they all have to go back to their daily lives at some point, leaving many people feeling isolated in their despair. This can be even harder on spouses who\u2019ve lost their husband or wife. If you think you need help working through your grief, reach out to your loved ones to ask for their support. Many people also find it helpful to join a grief support group or work with a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist. Coping with the loss of your spouse will be one of the hardest parts of their death, but you don\u2019t have to go through it alone.<\/p>\n<h2>SUMMARY<\/h2>\n<p>No one is insulated and does not experience the heart-wrenching loss of a loved one. Here at Stephens, Fiddes, McGill &amp; Associates, P.C., we are here to help, with understanding and compassion. Hopefully, this guide will aid your journey of your new life without the one you held so dear. Let us help you on that journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>INTRODUCTION The passing of a loved one is a soul-shocking event. Here at Stephens Fiddes McGill ; Associates, P.C., we recognize that this is a time of grief, confusion, and a general feeling of being lost in the world. We have prepared this information to help you navigate and find some difficult items. It outlines&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/what-to-do-when-a-loved-one-dies\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">What To Do When A Loved One Dies<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11086"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11086\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11349,"href":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11086\/revisions\/11349"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stephensfiddesmcgill.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}