Cremation services Evanston, IL, and funerals are among the least discussed topics among Americans and quite understandably, a few people know ins and out of a funeral service. For most people, a funeral is all about burying or cremating the dead and then, holding a memorial service – but a funeral entails more than that.

A lot of information is available pertaining to planning a funeral and combating the grief journey, but most people have little to no idea about the after-funeral proceedings. Here’s what happens after a funeral service.

Arrange a Reception or Wake

A Reception event is arranged soon after the funeral service where friends and family gather in an informal way. It offers a great opportunity to share memories and celebrate the life of the lost loved one and provide emotional support to the bereaved family.

It’s totally up to you where to arrange a reception. It can be at your family home, at a beach, garden, arena, or any other natural or private facility like a hotel. The family also serves food and drinks to the guests. To personalize the event, you can:

• Display photos of the deceased
• Arrange a group activity like a plantation drive
• Ask guests to share the loved one’s memorable moments
• Serve the deceased’s favorite food
• Play the loved one’s favorite music or hire a band
• Make and play a tribute video

Handle the Loved One’s Estate Affairs

If the loved one hasn’t written a will, the bereaved family has to deal with the deceased’s estate through an executor. The responsibility to handle their real or personal property is much more extensive if you’re a child or declared as an executor

Starting from closing or reestablishing their bank accounts and credit cards to paying the taxes and debts to distributing their property as per their directions, if any, or according to the court’s orders. It becomes much easier for the family to handle estate affairs if the deceased has written a will.

Sometimes, the executor has to apply for a “grant of representation” to access the property if the deceased owned huge property. Hire an attorney to initiate the probate proceedings.

Contact Relevant Institutions

Here is the checklist of the organizations you may have to contact following the loved one’s death:

• Death Certificate: Seek the funeral director’s guidance in getting the deceased’s death certificate from the relevant department.
• Employers: Notify the company or organization where the loved one worked and confirm if any death benefits are available.
• Insurance Companies: Not everyone has life insurances, but many do; provide the company with a copy of the death certificate for each claim made.
• Mortgage Companies: Contact mortgage and other lender companies to change or reestablish the deceased’s accounts.

Handle the Loved One’s Social Media Accounts

It may sound depressing, but you have to shut down the deceased’s social media account or publicly announce the death of a loved one on their social media accounts.

Contact the social media platform to either memorialize the account or remove it permanently. The platform needs substantial proof of the loved one’s death and your immediate relationship with them to proceed with your request after cremation services Evanston, IL.