The short answer
No. About thirty calls can wait weeks or months, and some never need making. Here they are, sorted by when.
This chapter explains how things usually work in the United States. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and the rules where you live may differ. Before you act on anything here, check it with one of the people named at the end of the chapter.
What to do
- Give the "this month" list to your helper, if you have one.
- Use the same script for every call: who died, when, who you are, and what they need.
- Ask whether a photocopy of the death certificate will do.
- Write every call in the call log in your notebook.
- Make no more than three calls a day.
- Keep his cell phone line working.
What can wait
Who can help
Your helper can take much of this list off you. If you haven't chosen one yet, Who can help me with all this? explains how.
Some funeral homes hand out their own list of who to notify. Ask your funeral director for a copy.
If you have no one to help, the Eldercare Locator can find your local Area Agency on Aging: 1-800-677-1116, or eldercare.acl.gov.
The rules, phone numbers and web addresses in this book were checked against the agencies’ own pages in October 2026. They change, so check anything you rely on with the office itself.
From Book 1: The First 30 Days
This page has the short answer and the closing lists from chapter 6. The full chapter explains, in plain words, what exists, what to ask, and who can answer. The book covers the first month.
Hear when the next book is out
Five or six short emails a year at most, and a note when a new book is out. Each one is about something that tends to come up in the first two years. You can unsubscribe whenever you like.