The 72-Hour Checklist — The Personalized After-Death Action Plan

Turn a family crisis into a checklist.

We’ll take the estate-planning facts that matter under pressure and turn them into a time-sequenced plan for the first 72 hours, first 30 days, and first 12 months after death.

Step 1 of 2

Who is this plan for?

This name appears on the saved report so the family knows the checklist belongs to this household, not to “some generic estate planner.”

Prepared For

State of Residence

What this includesDeath certificate ordering, probate urgency, document retrieval, account access, and family coordination steps.

What this does not doIt does not create legal authority. It tells the family what to gather, who to call, and what deadlines to not miss.

Best use casePrint it now, save it in the emergency binder, and update it whenever documents or beneficiary forms change.

Step 2 of 2

What is already in place?

Check everything the family can confidently locate or confirm today. The missing items become the parts of the action plan that need the most attention.

WillThe family can locate the signed will or knows exactly where it is.

TrustA revocable trust or funded trust package is already in place.

Durable Financial POASomeone can step in for incapacity-related financial management before death.

Healthcare Proxy / Medical POAThe family knows who is authorized to make medical decisions and access records.

Updated Beneficiary DesignationsIRA, 401(k), annuity, and insurance beneficiary forms are current.

Funeral / Burial Pre-PlanInstructions, preferences, and any prepaid arrangements are already organized.

Digital Account InventoryPasswords, account list, device access, and critical subscriptions are mapped.

Personalized After-Death Action Plan

The 72-Hour Checklist

A print-ready sequence for the surviving family built from state requirements and the documents already in place.

State —

Readiness —

Generated —

Headline

The family’s first week now fits on one page.

Summary appears here.

Primary Bottleneck

Biggest likely delay

Bottleneck copy appears here.

Readiness Score

0/100

Based on documents and arrangements already in place

Death Certificate Copies

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State / planning recommendation

Will / Probate Urgency

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Do not miss this filing window

State Snapshot

What this state changes

The action plan uses the broader `state_guides` overlay plus a dedicated after-death rules table for timing and administrative friction.

State overlay

Death certificate ordering—

Original will deadline—

Creditor notification window—

Probate / court friction—

Time Sequence

What the family should do, in order

This is written for the surviving spouse or adult child handling real-world administration, not for an attorney reading a statute book.

Print-ready

First 72 Hours

Stabilize the household

First 30 Days

Open the right files

First 12 Months

Finish the transfer work

Document Gaps

What will slow the family down

Missing documents do not just create legal risk. They create Monday-morning bottlenecks when bills, accounts, and medical records need attention.

Readiness gaps

Gap One

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Gap Two

—

Gap Three

—

Designed to be printed and placed in the emergency binder.

Important Disclosures: This checklist is for educational and organizational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, insurance, funeral, or medical advice. State rules for probate filings, creditor notice, certified death certificate ordering, account access, and related post-death administration can change and may vary based on county procedure, asset type, and family facts. Retirement Shield is not a law firm, does not prepare legal documents, and does not provide legal advice. Review this plan with a licensed estate planning or probate attorney in your state before relying on it for legal deadlines. © 2026 Retirement Shield. All rights reserved.