Losing Spouse/Parent Article


Losing a Spouse or Parent

You may be overwhelmed with grief right now. You may want to leave the administrative matters for a later day. But there are notifications and legal steps that should not be postponed.

  • Make funeral and burial arrangements.
  • Obtain several copies of the death certificate.
  • Gather relevant documents, such as the will, insurance policies, trusts, and stock, bank account and annuity statements.
  • Contact the Social Security Administration (if the deceased was an eligible recipient).
  • Send a notification and death certificate to the director of health services (if the deceased was a AHCCCS recipient) within 90 days after the death.
  • Notify any life insurance companies of the death.
  • Contact the trustee of any trust and/or the attorney who prepared it.
  • Contact the executor of the will and/or the attorney who prepared it.
  • Call the administrator of the decedent’s pension plan.
  • Notify the decedent’s banks and financial institutions.
  • Contact credit card companies.
  • Be sure that insurance or Medicare claims have been processed before paying any medical bills.

Comments:

On 4/11/07
MARY said
WHERE DO I GO TO GET AN AFFIDAVIT OF SUCCESSORS RIGHTS PURSUANT TO A.R.S. 14-3901

On 1/18/07
Stew  said
Could you add link to self service forms for property transfer.

QUESTIONS

  • what has to go through probate court after death of a spouse when everything is in my name too
  • My father is on his death bed in bullhead city. All past wills have included #1 I want to be buried in the nearest VA cemetary. His current wife of 3 years has paid for a cremation. She has a new will and will not produce it to any of 3 children. She has power of atty. We also believe she requested he be taken off cardiac meds when going into hospice, and believe this was negligent?? When does she need to produce a will?? Please help
  • do we need to file a copy of our wills to probate? We only have a mobile home, car and personal belongings. Do we have to go thru an attorney to make up a will? Can we do it ourselves? thank you
  • Does the 13 yr old chose who to live with
  • I have taken care of my father for many years and he finally passed away in 2013. He put my name on the house deed in 2011 but kept the mortgage in his and my late mother's names. Now that they are both deceased what do I do about the mortgage that is in his and my mother's name? There was no probate as I took over the mortgage payment and the one bill he still owed on. I simple have no clue what to do about the mortgage because I only have $730.00 per month in Social security disability and know that banks won't lend to anyone with that low an income. What can I do?
  • If my parents die in Phoenix, AZ and want to be cremated and have me take their ashes to OR to be buried, what is the proceedure I need to make?

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  • Myself & 3 other sisters are named in our mother's will equally(AZ resident when died). Our oldest sister, executor, gave all our mother's home furnishings, etc. to her grown children. Is there something we can do without engaging an attorney? Thank you for your assistance.
  • My late husband suffered from Alzheimer's Disease when he borrowed money and signed documents that deeded his home to another person. That person refuses to return title of the home to my late husband's estate even though the loan was paid off in full. What are my rights?
  • I have lost my mother on November 2018. I understand I need to file taxes for her. My accountant says I need to get her (deceased person’s) representation to file her last taxes. What forms I have to fill? Where do I apply to get the representation? Where can I get some help regarding this process?

STORIES

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FIND LEGAL HELP

  • Please select your county of residence below.

    County:
     

OTHER LEGAL RESOURCES

  • State Bar of Arizona
    www.azbar.org
  • Maricopa County Bar
    www.maricopabar.org
    Referral number 602-257-4434
  • Pima County Bar
    www.pimacountybar.org
    Referral number 520-623-4625
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
    800-799-7233
  • Bankruptcy Court Self Help Center
    866-553-0893
  • Certified Legal Document Preparer Program
    Link

ORGANIZATIONS

RELATED ARTICLES

ARIZONA PROBATE FUNDAMENTALS

LINKS

Area Agency on Aging

Maricopa County Judicial Branch Self-Service Center Online

Arizona 2-1-1

Pima County Courts Self Service Center

LeadingAgeAZ

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