US government checklist
The official first-calls-and-paperwork list. Factual, not warm.
usa.govFree resources for planning a death, arranging a funeral, and getting through the grief that follows.
This is currently a US-focused list, and most of the resources will not apply to individuals who do not reside in the US. To propose additions to this list, contact us.
Nothing on this page is medical, legal, or mental-health advice. If you’re in a crisis right now, the numbers below will connect you with appropriate support.
If you need help right now
Free · 24/7 · Confidential
Immediate crisis or suicidal
Call or text 988
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. US and Canada.
988lifeline.org ↗Text-only crisis support
Text HOME to 741741
Crisis Text Line. US, UK, Canada, Ireland.
crisistextline.org ↗Mental health & substance use
Call 1-800-662-4357
SAMHSA National Helpline. Information and referral.
samhsa.gov ↗Military & veteran survivor loss
Call 1-800-959-8277
TAPS 24/7 Helpline. Survivors of military and veteran loss, including suicide.
taps.org ↗If someone just died
Official checklists and consumer-protection resources for the first calls, forms, and cancellations.
AARP checklist
The most-used practical US checklist. No membership needed.
aarp.orgFuneral Consumers Alliance
First 24 hours + how to price-shop a funeral home.
funerals.orgPlanning ahead
The documents that give your medical team and family instructions when you can't speak for yourself.
State advance directives
CaringInfo. The single most reliable free source for state-legal forms.
caringinfo.orgAARP directive forms
Backup source if CaringInfo is unavailable. Same rules apply.
aarp.orgFreeWill directive tool
Free for-profit tool funded by charitable-giving planning. Read the terms.
freewill.comNIA · plain-language primer
What each document is — living will, proxy, POLST, DNR. Read this before the form.
nia.nih.govYour rights as a funeral consumer
The federal law that protects funeral consumers, and the nonprofits that enforce it.
Funeral Consumers Alliance
60 years old. Local memorial societies, price surveys, Funeral Rule explainers.
funerals.orgThe FTC Funeral Rule
Homes must itemize, quote by phone, and let you buy only what you want.
ftc.govFuneral Pricing Surveys
What "normal" costs in your metro — and which homes are opaque.
consumerfed.orgHome & family-directed funerals
Home funerals are legal in every US state. The paperwork varies. These are the two primary resources.
Home Funeral Alliance
Free Home Funeral Guidebook PDF plus state-specific rules. National nonprofit.
homefuneralalliance.orgOrder of the Good Death
Plain-language primer — what it is and isn't. Pair with HFA for procedure.
orderofthegooddeath.comBenefits & paperwork
Social Security survivor benefits and Veterans Affairs burial benefits.
Social Security survivors
$255 lump sum + ongoing spouse and dependent benefits. Report by phone only.
ssa.govVA burial & memorial
Free burial in a VA national cemetery for eligible veterans and dependents.
va.govAARP · veterans' survivors
Plain-language rundown of what survivors are actually entitled to.
aarp.orgGrief support · general
Communities, education, and peer support for people grieving. Not a substitute for a therapist.
Modern Loss
Written by people who've lost, not clinicians talking about them.
modernloss.comWhat's Your Grief
Practical, plain-language grief education. Hundreds of specific situations.
whatsyourgrief.comThe Compassionate Friends
For parents, siblings, and grandparents. In-person & virtual chapters.
compassionatefriends.orgGriefShare
Explicitly Christian framing throughout. Widely available and genuinely free.
griefshare.orgFind A Helpline
Chat, text, and phone options. Not a hotline itself — a way to find one.
findahelpline.comGrief support · by type of loss
Loss-specific communities. Held by people who have been there.
The Dinner Party
Small-group "tables" plus LGBTQ+ affinity tables. Virtual + in-person.
thedinnerparty.orgAFSP · Suicide Loss
Survivor groups + Healing Conversations with trained peer volunteers.
afsp.orgAlliance of Hope
Online community, not a hotline. For people bereaved by suicide.
allianceofhope.orgGRASP
In-person and online support after overdose or substance-related death.
grasphelp.orgTAPS
Helpline, peer mentorship, retreats. Any cause including suicide.
taps.orgStar Legacy Foundation
Virtual groups, phone/text support, and "pregnancy after loss" classes.
starlegacyfoundation.orgShare
Long-running national organization with in-person and virtual groups.
nationalshare.orgSoaring Spirits
Any age, any marital status, any cause of death. LGBTQ+ inclusive.
soaringspirits.orgGrief support · children & teens
Children grieve differently than adults, and often without adults noticing.
The Dougy Center
Peer groups for ages 3–18 in Portland; affiliates nationwide; free downloads.
dougy.orgJudi's House
Clinical services in Denver plus the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model.
judishouse.orgComfort Zone Camp
Weekend camps for children who lost a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver.
comfortzonecamp.orgDigital legacy
What happens to your accounts, files, and passwords when you die.
FCA · Your Digital Legacy
What a digital legacy is and how to leave access without leaving passwords lying around.
funerals.orgPlatform legacy tools
Legacy Contact / Inactive Account Manager. Ten minutes each. Set up now.
setup guidesPassword manager access
Trusted contact gets vault access after a waiting period (which you can veto).
bitwarden.comThis list is US-focused, free at the point of use, and maintained. We check every link quarterly. If you find one broken, if you know a resource we should include, or if a resource we’ve listed has changed and is no longer free — tell us.
Last reviewed · August 2026Review cadence · QuarterlyEntries · 40
IndependenceNothing on this page is an affiliate link, and no organisation listed here has paid to appear. Inclusion is not endorsement of any organisation’s clinical approach or religious framing — where a resource carries one, we say so in its description.