After a death in India: complete guide
Very little of this is urgent in the first few days. Here is the whole path in order, with a plain guide for each step. Do one thing at a time.
The short answer
First, get the death certificate, and ask for several copies. Then find out what the person had: accounts, policies, PF, investments, property and loans. Each institution has its own claim process, and a nominee often makes it simpler. A court paper is needed less often than people say, so ask each institution what it needs before you start one.
The first days
- The first 24 hours: a calm family checklist
- What to do after a death: the paperwork, step by step
- How to get a death certificate, including late registration
- What to do after your husband's death: a checklist
Papers, nominees and heirs
- Documents needed after a death: the full list
- Nominee vs legal heir
- Legal heir certificate vs succession certificate vs probate
- Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID and SIM
Bank accounts and lost money
- How to claim a bank account: RBI's rules
- Withdrawing money when there is no nominee
- Application to the bank: a ready format
- Bank locker: who can open it and how
- Finding a parent's unclaimed money: UDGAM and more
- Scams families face after a death
Insurance, PF and pension
- How to claim life insurance
- PF claim: Forms 20, 10D and 5(IF)
- Family pension after a pensioner's death
- NPS death claim
Investments, loans and tax
- Mutual funds and shares: the 2026 rules
- Home loan and credit card after the borrower dies
- Filing the income tax return of a deceased person
Property and vehicles
- Property after a father's death: mutation and heirs
- Dividing a father's property: daughters' rights
- Vehicle and gas connection transfer
Rites, grief and looking after each other
- Burial or cremation, and where they rest
- Funeral costs in India
- Planning a memorial service
- Writing an obituary
- Why everyone in a family grieves differently
- Supporting a spouse after a loss
- Talking to children about death, age by age
- What to tell relatives and neighbours
- Social media accounts after a death
When someone is seriously ill
- Palliative care in India
- Home, hospital or hospice
- When treatment hurts more than it helps
- A care folder for the family
- Supporting someone emotionally
- Talking about difficult things
- Caring for a parent without burning out
- Sibling conflict during caregiving
- Advance directives and choosing a proxy
- Planning for dementia
- Organ donation in India
Planning ahead, so your family does not have to search
- A simple family emergency plan
- Storing property papers and documents safely
- Talking about money with parents
- Estate planning basics
- The role of an executor
- Leaving specific gifts
- Power of attorney
- Managing debts and obligations
- Life insurance planning
- A digital legacy plan: passwords and devices
- Writing an ethical will
- Letters for the future
- If you run a small business
- NRIs and assets across borders
- Planning care for pets
If you are not sure where to begin
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Start at the page for families · Free family checklist · Free will format
General guidance, not legal advice. Rules differ by state and institution, so please check what applies to you. For your own situation, speak to a lawyer.