Preparing for the death of a loved one in Georgia can be challenging. However, going through the estate planning process and preparing can make it much easier to handle the aspects of death that don’t involve the mourning process after a spouse or parent passes away. Here are a few steps that you can use to prepare yourself.
Gather and organize important documents
When preparing for the death of someone close to you, such as your parent or spouse, it’s essential to gather important documents and have the information ready. These can include:
• Documents pertaining to a will or trust
• Social Security number
• Real estate deeds and titles
• Financial account statements
• Automobile titles
If planning for the future hasn’t been done, it may be time to create an estate plan. Developing a will that names beneficiaries can tie up many loose ends. Consider using a trust if you’re looking to avoid the probate process.
End-of-life preparations
A way to make your passing as easy as possible is to take care of the end-of-life preparations yourself. You can prepay for a burial plot and coffin, urn and cremation service and many other types of funerary services. If your loved ones or parents haven’t taken this step, at least be sure that they have provided information in their wills about how they’d like their end-of-life plans carried out. Taking care of as much of the end-of-life preparations as possible ahead of time can make things easier for those left behind.
Prepare financial information
The next step is to clear up all of the elements related to finance, credit and insurance. To prepare your loved ones, make a list of all of your investment and retirement accounts and insurance policies along with their locations, account numbers and beneficiaries. Keep in mind that loved ones and beneficiaries will often need to provide a death certificate to the institution, so it’s a good idea to get multiple copies of the death certificate.
Preparing for the death of a loved one can be emotional as it reminds you that someday they’ll be gone. However, going through the estate planning process and preparing for these steps now will make it smoother to deal with in the future, allowing you to mourn without distractions.
