Free checklist · one page, printable
The First 72 Hours
When someone dies, the first three days feel like a hundred urgent tasks. In truth there are about a dozen that matter — and a long list that only feels urgent and can safely wait. This one-page checklist separates the two, in plain English, so you can put your energy where it counts and let the rest go for now.
What's on the page
- The dozen that matter — the notifications, the certificate order (and how many copies to ask for), the property and dependents questions that genuinely belong in the first three days.
- The “it can wait” list — the accounts, the subscriptions, the mail pile, and the other tasks that will still be there next week without penalty. Knowing what to ignore is half the relief.
- One caution worth knowing early — banks typically freeze a sole-owner account once notified of the death, and won't discuss it with you until you have legal authority. Families hit this exactly when the funeral bill is due — it's one of the most common shocks described in caregiver forums (a real thread from June 2024 is linked in Sources, below). The checklist tells you how to think about timing before you make that call.
It's the opening section of The Executor's Playbook, free. If the checklist is all you ever need from us, that's a good outcome.
Get the checklist
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If you need more than a page
The checklist covers the first three days. The first three months — the frozen accounts, the probate-or-not question, the dozens of closure letters, the phone-call marathon that takes families 13–20 months to finish (Empathy’s research, cited in Sources) — is what The Executor's Playbook is for.
Sources
- AgingCare forum thread, June 2024 (frozen bank account, cremation invoice): agingcare.com/questions/…-488069
- Empathy, The Grief Tax and The Cost of Dying (13–20 months): empathy.com/thegrieftax; empathy.com/blog/cost-of-dying
A note about what this is — and isn't.
This is an educational and organizational product. It is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney. Hearthline Press is not a law firm, and no attorney-client relationship is created by purchasing or using this product. Laws differ by state and change over time; for decisions about your specific situation — especially anything involving a will, probate, taxes, or a dispute — please consult a licensed attorney or qualified professional in your state.