Losing someone close to your heart and planning cremation services Skokie, IL, is among the most painful experiences of life. More strikingly, many people don’t know much about what to do soon after the death of a loved one.

Keeping this in view, we are here with a set of instructions on where to begin if you have to deal with the unexpected death of a loved one.

1. Get a Death Certificate

The first thing you should be doing is to get a legal certification of death. Now, this can be done in many ways depending on the nature and location of death. While laws can vary from state to state, but generally a hospice care worker, emergency medical technician (EMT), registered nurse (RN or APRN), or medical examiner can pronounce death.

After the official pronouncement of death, you need to work with the medical professional or your funeral director to fill out the required paperwork for getting the death certificate. Obtain at least 10-15 copies of the death certificate as you would need them to handle the deceased’s accounts and other pending tasks.

2. Notify Family and Friends

Here is a short list of people you would want to call:

• Immediate family members. Ask them to contact others.
• Contact close friends and ask them to notify other colleagues, if you want them to.
• Look for a minister, pastor, or priest.
• Appoint some to look after the decedent’s home and/or pets to prevent theft.

3. Choose a Funeral Home

Now that requires some meticulous work. You don’t want to end up with the first funeral home that crosses your eyes. Take your time, get recommendations from your family and friends and online reviews.

Then, inquire if they can provide all the services you want to arrange for the lost loved one. Consider other factors like price comparison, market experience of the home, staff attitude, and more to make your choice.

4. Make Arrangements for the Funeral

Sit back and have a thorough discussion with your funeral director on how you would like to honor the deceased. Shop for all the services, take their recommendations on all the decisions, and make sure you fulfill all the final desires of the departed soul, if possible. Here, you can discuss all the important details like the disposition type, insurance claims, and more.

Also, keep an eye on additional services like flowers, catering, music, religious readings, etc.

5. Schedule an Obituary

The obituary has been an integral funeral service for centuries. Notify the local newspaper of the death and include information in the obituary on the location of service, time, and donations.

6. Begin Settling the Estate and Other Matters

Don’t start settling the estate and other financial issues soon after the death. Take some time and at the very least, contact the executor of the estate to get the process started.

Here are some of the matters you would need to settle:

• Social Security office
• Bank accounts or credit card companies and credit reporting agencies
• Social media accounts
• Life insurance company
• Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to cancel driver’s license.
• Volunteer organizations, fraternities, or any other commitments
• Subscriptions and automatic bill payments

Learn with your funeral director at cremation services Skokie, IL. visit our location now.