Probate & Trust Law Section Conference Manual ... - Minnesota CLE

family members. Particularly if you have not previously worked with the decedent or the
decedent’s family, the obituary may shed some light on his or her family background, any
charitable or civic participation, as well as his or her previous employment history.
Gather Important Documents
You should collect the following documents as soon as possible:
Original copies of the decedent’s will and any codicils thereto (if any);
Any trust agreements and any trust amendments thereto;
Any written statements identifying bequests of tangible personal property;
Copies of a predeceased spouse’s will or trust agreements (if any);
Real estate property tax statements; and
The decedent’s most recently filed income tax return.
Contact Third Parties
You should confirm with the family members that various third parties have been notified of the
decedent’s passing.
Notify the Veteran’s Administration. If the decedent was a veteran or the surviving
spouse of a veteran, contact the Veteran’s Administration.
Notify the Social Security Administration. In many cases, the funeral home will
contact the Social Security Administration on behalf of the family. If this is not the case,
arrangements should be made to contact the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-
1213. When notifying Social Security, you will need to provide the decedent’s social
security number. In the event that the decedent received a social security benefit for the
month in which the decedent died, it is necessary for the family to return the benefit. 2
Notify Decedent’s Employer (current and previous). The decedent’s family members
may be entitled to accrued but unpaid salary, a death benefit on a group life insurance
policy or other similar benefits. The employer should be able to put the family in touch
with the right personnel (often either a human resources representative of the company or
third-party administrator) in order to determine what benefits the family is entitled to.
2 If the benefit was received by check, then the check should be returned; if by automatic deposit, then the bank
should be notified of the decedent’s death, and the automatic deposit should be reversed.
2