Losing a loved one can be considered one of the most challenging aspects of a person’s life. After learning the passing of a spouse, friend or family member, a person begins to feel the weight of the loss of losing that someone.
Aside from the emotional weight of grief, people have to consider making funeral plans and settling important financial decisions. The feelings of sadness and financial stress can be overwhelming for anyone reeling from the loss of a loved one.
To overcome this, we can focus first on the psychological aspects of grief.
Moving On. The shock and sadness of loss lead people to cope with grief in different ways. The time it takes to recover from loss also varies from person to person, ranging from months, years, or not at all.
Regardless of how long people recover from loss, the following steps can help them to go back on track:
Talk and Acceptance. Denying loss and grief can lead to isolation, making it harder for people to cope. By talking to friends and family about what happened, you won’t feel isolated and gain a support system. Accept the feeling of grief and talk to people you care about with it.
Self-Care. Grief can negatively affect our daily activities, such as eating and maintaining good health. After talking to people about the loss, people shouldn’t forget about taking care of themselves in the process. This can take time, but facing health issues of your own won’t help you recover quicker.
Reach Out and Celebrate Those Around You. It may not only be you facing grief but people around you too. Sharing stories and helping out others should make you feel better as well as acknowledging those with you today. Not everyone can recover from grief and may need psychological assistance.
With the help of a professional, people can develop ways to overcome their sadness and start rebuilding again.
Taking Financial Steps
The challenges of grief are not limited to emotional recovery, but also dealing with financial steps. The following are quick considerations in dealing with financial decisions involved with the loss of a loved one.
Death Certificate and Probate. The first order of business is acquiring a death certificate from the statistics office for filing insurance benefits. Next begins the probate process, where you’ll need experts such as Geoffrey Dietrich in handling the assets and beneficiaries of the deceased. If your loved one has a will, now is the time to act on those wishes. If not, an estate attorney can determine the distribution of assets.
Insurance and Financial Relationships. Contact the financial planner or place of work of your loved one to determine their assets or benefits. See also if you’re able to claim these benefits or need to be discontinued.
The Government and Credit Agencies. Notify government agencies and other bodies that provided benefits for your loved one. These may include Veteran Affairs, DMV and Medicare. Again, you or other beneficiaries may be eligible for benefits when talking to agencies.
Credit and Tax Filings. The next step is preventing identity theft of your loved one. By providing the death certificate, credit reporting agencies are notified of your loved one’s passing. Monitor their credit report and report to agencies or authorities for any fraudulent accounts.
Lastly, submit final tax filings with the aid of a tax attorney on behalf of the estate.
Recovering from grief can be a sad and stressful process. Being aware of what you go through and the decisions involved should help you deal with grief quicker. If recovery proves to be difficult, the availability of health and financial experts should give you an easier time in managing the loss.
