If a loved one has recently passed away, you’ll need to make sure that you get a death certificate before you move on and deal with the rest of their estate. Luckily, the death certificate is not difficult to get, though you will need to make sure that you have all of the current information for your loved one. This way, the death certificate will be completely accurate, which can help you avoid trouble in the future.
You will get a death certificate when your loved one is brought to the funeral home of your choice. For this reason, you should make sure that you bring any important information with you. This includes your loved one’s important papers and documents – including any information about military service and other information that might be useful in filling out a certificate about your loved one. If you’re not sure exactly what information that you should bring with you to the funeral home, then you should call ahead to ask. In most cases, however, the funeral director will explain exactly what you will need.
After the funeral director puts together the death certificate for you, you’ll need to get it signed by a physician. This is just to make sure that it is officially noted that your loved one is dead. The physician will also be able to note down the time and cause of death, which is needed for official records. The death certificate will then be put on file in your county courthouse. If you ever end up needing new copies of your loved one’s death certificate, you should be able to get them for a small fee.
The death certificate is very important shortly after your loved one passes on. The death certificate is the one official sheet of paper that can prove that your loved one is no longer alive – which is generally needed in order to settle their accounts. For instance, you’ll need the death certificate in order to file income taxes, to access financial accounts (like stock holdings or bank accounts) and your loved one’s remaining retirement fund money. It is especially important to have a death certificate on hand if you are appointed the executor of the will.