What to Do When a Parent Dies: The First 72 Hours

A calm checklist for the hardest days — including what you don't need to rush.

In the first 72 hours after a parent dies: get the death legally pronounced (call hospice, or 911 if the death was unexpected and not under hospice care), notify close family in the order your parent would have wanted, contact the funeral home or any pre-arranged provider, and locate the will and key documents. Do not rush to move money, close accounts, or make big decisions — there is time for that.

The first hours

If the person was under hospice, call the hospice number — they handle the pronouncement. If the death was at home and unexpected, call 911. Then call the people who should hear it from family, not from social media, in the order that makes sense.

The first day or two

Contact the funeral home (or the pre-need provider if arrangements were already made). Locate the will, power of attorney, and advance directive. Ask the funeral home for 10–12 certified copies of the death certificate — nearly every bank, insurer, and agency will want an original.

What NOT to rush

Don't hurry to close accounts, move money, or make legal or financial decisions in the first days. Grief and haste are a bad combination, and almost nothing here is truly urgent. The estate and the paperwork can wait a week.

Have the conversation, gently

The Comfort File turns it into one organized family document — free to preview.

See The Comfort File →

Common questions

How many death certificates do we need?

Ask for 10–12 certified copies — each insurer, bank, and agency typically wants its own original.

What if we can't find the will?

Check with the parent's attorney, safe-deposit box, and home files. A guided organizer prepared in advance prevents this scramble entirely.