What to do when a parent passes away in New Jersey

You don't have to do anything right now except breathe. If your parent died at home and was on hospice, call the hospice line — they will guide you through declaring death and calling the funeral home. If they died in a hospital, the staff handles the medical paperwork and will hand you next steps when you're ready.

If the death was unattended (no medical professional present), call 911. They will arrange for a coroner or medical examiner to come, which is required before the body can be released.

Most decisions can wait until tomorrow, or even next week. Take the time you need.

You will need certified copies of the death certificate for almost every administrative task ahead — closing accounts, filing for life insurance, transferring titles. Most families need 10 to 15 certified copies. Order more than you think.

In New Jersey, certified death certificates are issued by New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. The funeral home will usually order the first batch for you and bill the estate.

The funeral home typically reports the death to the Social Security Administration automatically, but it's worth confirming. If your parent was receiving Social Security, the payment for the month of death must be returned, even if it arrives after the date of death.

• Social Security: A surviving spouse may be eligible for a one-time $255 lump-sum benefit and ongoing survivor benefits.
• Veterans Affairs: If your parent was a veteran, the VA may help with burial costs and survivor benefits.
• Banks & brokerages: Bring a certified death certificate. Joint accounts and accounts with named beneficiaries usually transfer immediately; others may need to wait for probate.
• Employer or pension: Notify their employer, union, and any pension provider. Survivor benefits and final paychecks often need to be claimed.

New Jersey offers an Affidavit of Surviving Spouse/Domestic Partner and an Affidavit for Other Heirs for small estates.

Probate is the court process that transfers what your parent owned to the people who inherit it. In New Jersey, probate is overseen by New Jersey Surrogate's Court (county-level). Many things pass outside probate — joint accounts, life insurance with named beneficiaries, retirement accounts, and assets in a trust — so the actual probate estate is often much smaller than people expect.

You usually have time. There's no need to rush to court in the first week.

New Jersey repealed its estate tax in 2018 but still has an inheritance tax. Class A beneficiaries (spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, stepchildren) are fully exempt. Siblings and in-laws (Class C) pay tax above a small exemption; non-relatives (Class D) pay the highest rates.

• If you are the deceased's child, you owe no New Jersey inheritance tax.
• Probate filings begin with the county Surrogate's Court.

The deceased are a target for fraud, sometimes within days. Notify the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) and request a death notice be placed on the file. Watch the mail and inbox for unfamiliar accounts.

Report suspected scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.

Grief makes paperwork feel ten times heavier. Eat regularly. Sleep when you can. Let people bring you food. The list above will still be there tomorrow, and the day after, and we'll walk through it with you one step at a time.