What to do when your partner dies?

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What to do when your partner dies: a field of lavender at dusk evoking calm.

What to do when your partner dies?

Losing your partner is an emotional and unpleasant time, as well as often being unexpected. You’ll not only have to deal with these emotions but countless decisions and arrangements will be made in the days and weeks afterward.


It’s possible you don’t know what to do after your partner dies. However, since you mightn’t have become a widow or widower before, it’ll be your first - and possibly only - time going through this process. While certain steps are obvious, others aren’t.


Outside of dealing with your emotions - which therapy can help with - three important steps stand out with this.

Three things to do after your partner dies

1. Make the funeral arrangements


One of the first things to do after your partner dies is to take care of the funeral arrangements. It can be one of the more emotional parts of the process, but it’s one you’ll need to focus on carefully. You’ll want to give them a great send-off, after all.


There could be several things to get done when you’re doing this. From whether they should be buried or cremated arranging notices in local newspapers, and more, you’ll have to make multiple decisions. Go through these as early as possible so you can prepare for a funeral that your partner would want have wanted.


Make it so it’s something they would’ve enjoyed.

2. Apply for benefits (if eligible)


You mightn’t have realized you might be entitled to benefits after your partner dies. This comes as a lump sum in many cases, but it could also be ongoing payments. Even widow benefits for social security disability could be an option for you, depending on circumstances. It’s worth looking into what you’re eligible for.


While you’ll have to go through an application process to do this, it should be relatively quick and straightforward. If it’s too complicated for you, attorneys can always help with this process.

3. Update your will


There’s a decent chance your partner would’ve been the main beneficiary of your will, so you’ll need to update this after they pass away. Take the time to get this done relatively quickly, so it’s not overlooked later on. You’ll likely end up making your children if you have them, your beneficiaries instead of your partner.


Get in touch with a lawyer to do this. At the same time, it’s worth updating your power of attorney. This focuses on who makes decisions related to you in case you’re unable to. Your partner might’ve held this title before, but you’ll need to change it to another loved one after they’ve passed.

What to do after your partner dies: wrapping up

Figuring out what to do after your partner dies is an overwhelming process, especially considering all of the emotions you’re dealing with. It doesn’t need to be impossible, however. Not only should you deal with your emotions, but you’ll have to follow a few specific steps.


Taking care of the arrangements, updating your will, and applying for benefits are some of the more notable of these. Take the time to go through them one-by-one to make this more manageable. In time, it’ll become even easier.

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Article by
Jessica White

Jessica White describes herself as a "very private person," which is why she uses a pseudonym. Jessica holds a MA in feminist literature, and an MBA. For a long time she wrote a successful personal mental health blog on Blogger, and yes, she used a pseudonym. Jessica also established and managed a successful e-commerce store for over ten years before selling it.

Caption:

Figuring out what to do after your partner dies is an overwhelming process, especially considering all of the emotions you’re dealing with. It doesn’t need to be impossible, however. Not only should you deal with your emotions, but you’ll have to follow a few specific steps. | ©Jess_Ivanova / Adobe Stock

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