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Planning Ahead
Get key legal documents in place. Understand and articulate preferences.
Planning Ahead
5 topics
Whether you or a loved one received a terminal diagnosis or you simply want to make sure your or your loved one's affairs are in order, start here. Do what you can. Come back regularly. The more complete and up-to-date you can keep these documents and wishes, the better position you and your loved ones will be in when there are tough decisions to navigate.
1.1
Take a breath before doing anything else
Nothing that needs to happen in the next hour requires a decision right now.
You don't have to do anything immediately. The most important thing right now is to be with the people around you and let yourself feel what you're feeling.
There are practical things that will need to happen, and we will walk you through every one of them. None of them are emergencies in this moment.
If someone has died at home and you are not sure what to do next, you can call the funeral home you plan to use, or call 911 if you don't have one in mind. They will guide you.
You do not need to call anyone in the next few minutes. Take your time.
1.2
Know that support is available right now
Sudden loss can be overwhelming — you don't have to navigate this alone.
If you are in crisis or feeling overwhelmed, please reach out:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- Grief Share Helpline: 1-800-395-5755
You can also ask someone you trust to sit with you while you work through the next steps. You don't have to do this alone.
1.3
Decide who will notify close family and friends
Spreading this news is one of the hardest tasks — naming someone to help carries the weight.
You don't have to make every call yourself. It helps to designate one person — a family member or close friend — as the communications coordinator. They can reach out to others on your behalf so you're not repeating the hardest conversation over and over.
You only need to make the calls that feel most important to you personally. Let someone else handle the rest.
Tell your communications coordinator: “Please let people know, and ask them to spread the word. I'll be in touch when I'm ready.”
1.4
Do not make any major financial or legal decisions yet
The first hours are not the time for financial decisions — protecting yourself now prevents regret later.
Grief impairs judgment in ways that aren't always obvious. Research on bereavement consistently shows that major decisions made in the first 24–48 hours are frequently regretted.
Do not yet:
- Sign any contracts
- Make large financial transfers
- Agree to any funeral package without reviewing it
- Make decisions about the estate
Everything can wait at least 24 hours. Anyone pressuring you to decide immediately is not acting in your interest.
If a funeral home or anyone else is pressuring you to sign or pay immediately, you are allowed to say: “I need 24 hours.” That is always true.
1.5
Arrange for immediate household needs
Practical things — food, children, pets — need someone's attention so you don't have to carry them.
In the coming hours and days, the ordinary logistics of life still need to happen. It helps to name someone who can coordinate:
- Meals and groceries
- Childcare or school pickup
- Pet care
- Hosting out-of-town family who may be arriving
You don't need to manage these yourself right now.