At JK Nelson Law, we understand that this is a difficult and stressful time for you and your family. Unfortunately, it is during this time that you must handle several important matters to ensure that your loved one’s final wishes are carried out. In Nevada, you are required to wait 30 days before initiating the probate process, so this gives you have a month to take care of the funeral arrangements and prepare for the probate process. As such, within days following your loved one’s death, what do you need to do to ensure that their final wishes are looked after?
- Contact your loved one’s bank and/or any financial institutions they are connected to
- By contacting these institutions and informing them of your loved one’s passing, you are protecting their bank account and finances against fraud.
- Notify Social Security
- If your loved one received a check from social security, it is important that you notify them of your loved one’s passing. This will allow them to cease social security payments to your loved one and reverse any payments that were sent after your loved one’s death, prior to you contacting them.
- Inform Veterans Affairs
- If your loved one was a veteran, he/she might be eligible to receive financial assistance or benefits for their funeral. You might also be eligible for survivor assistance.
- Secure the home, vehicles, and properties of your loved one
- This is important to ensure the security of your loved one’s assets until the probate process begins. Be sure that you collect or forward their mail, as this helps guard them against identity theft. Depending on your loved one’s situation, you might want to change the locks on their home, to keep unwanted visitors out until the probate process ends.
- Determine if a Will Exists
- During the probate process, the court will sort through your loved one’s Will and ensure that it is authentic. You have thirty days from your loved one’s passing to obtain your loved one’s original Will and submit to the court.
- Order Death Certificates
- You will need to order at least 5 certified copies of your loved one’s death certificate to use during the probate process. However, in some cases, more than five copies might be needed. These orders can take up to two weeks to receive, so be sure to order these early enough to have them in time for the probate process.
- Get in Contact with Your Attorney
- During the probate process, it is important for you to have an attorney to represent you as the executor of the Will. At JK Nelson Law, we want to help guide you through the probate process to ensure a prompt and efficient resolution of your loved one’s estate. We will ensure that you have all of the paperwork and information that you need to be successful in the probate court and will assist you with all of our legal expertise and knowledge on both the probate court as well as Nevada state laws.
Call us today to schedule your free consultation with one of our experienced and knowledgeable JK Nelson Law attorneys in Las Vegas and Pahrump.
