What to do after someone dies
What do I do when someone dies?
Start with the official after-death checklist, proof-of-death documents and the organizations that need notifying. Your responsibilities depend on your relationship to the person and whether you are authorized to represent the estate.
Where to begin
- Use the Canada.ca after-death questionnaire to make a checklist for your situation.
- Find out which proof of death is needed. A funeral home issues a statement of death; a death certificate comes from the province or territory where the death occurred.
- Follow the notification guide for the relevant government benefits and other organizations. Do not assume notifying one organization updates all accounts.
- If you are handling the estate, follow the official guidance on representation, taxes, wills and possible survivor benefits. Confirm your authority before acting on the estate’s behalf.
Before you open the official service
- Where the person died and your relationship to them.
- Any proof-of-death documents and information about the authorized representative.
Keep your actual documents and account details off this website. Use the official service’s current checklist before applying.
What to check for your situation
Being a family member does not by itself establish authority to administer an estate. Requirements depend on the jurisdiction and role; this guide does not determine legal responsibility.
Fees, processing times and document rules can change. This page helps you navigate; it does not confirm eligibility or replace the government’s instructions.
Official sources
canada.ca · Official websiteCanada.ca — What to do when someone diesTasks following a death depend on the person’s relationship to the deceased. The official questionnaire creates a situation-specific checklist. The guide separates notifications and cancellation of benefits, possible survivor programs, representation, taxes, estates and wills. Follow the relevant official route rather than assuming the same task applies to everyone.Checked
Prepared by Active K Digital from the linked public guidance. Read our source approach.