Get a first-48-hours, first-week and first-month checklist after a parent dies with Claude

Posted

Mar 31, 2026 by Chad Newman (blog)

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Last checked

Oct 18, 2026

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Method:

How we verify

Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.

Context: Newman notes the hospice team and funeral home did much of the human work; Claude handled the list of practical steps.

Outcome

The night Chad Newman's father died at home in hospice care in Florida, Newman typed something like 'my father just passed away. What do I need to do?' into Claude. Without being asked, it laid out a timeline for the first 48 hours, the first week and the first month. It flagged that a will has to be filed with the county court within ten days in Florida and covered notifying Social Security within a set window and contacting the VA. Newman printed the checklist and worked through it like a project plan.

Agent

Claude

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote this from what it describes.

Let's work this out together. I'll tell you what I know, you suggest options and ask what you need, and we'll narrow it down step by step. Nothing gets booked, bought or sent until I say so.

Goal: Help me work out what has to be done after my parent's death, in order, so nothing with a deadline gets missed.

What I'll share as we go:
- The state or country where they lived
- Whether there's a will, and who the executor is
- Whether they had benefits or a pension (Social Security, veterans' benefits)
- What the funeral home is already handling

You're not my lawyer. Stick to facts I give you, label any rule you mention as something to check against the official source, and keep the tone firm but polite.

Rules:
- Organise tasks into the first 48 hours, the first week and the first month.
- Flag every legal or benefit deadline and say which official source confirms it.
- Tell me roughly how many copies of the death certificate to order and who will ask for one.
- Keep it practical and gentle; one section at a time if I ask.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.

Output: A printable checklist by time period, with deadlines highlighted.

You'll know it worked when: every deadline is met and I know who's been notified.

Let's work this out together. I'll tell you what I know, you suggest options and ask what you need, and we'll narrow it down step by step. Nothing gets booked, bought or sent until I say so.

Goal: Help me work out what has to be done after my parent's death, in order, so nothing with a deadline gets missed.

What I'll share as we go:
- The state or country where they lived
- Whether there's a will, and who the executor is
- Whether they had benefits or a pension (Social Security, veterans' benefits)
- What the funeral home is already handling

You're not my lawyer. Stick to facts I give you, label any rule you mention as something to check against the official source, and keep the tone firm but polite.

Rules:
- Organise tasks into the first 48 hours, the first week and the first month.
- Flag every legal or benefit deadline and say which official source confirms it.
- Tell me roughly how many copies of the death certificate to order and who will ask for one.
- Keep it practical and gentle; one section at a time if I ask.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.
- Add a short list of accounts and documents (car titles, passwords, insurance) to look for early.

Output: A printable checklist by time period, with deadlines highlighted.

You'll know it worked when: every deadline is met and I know who's been notified.

Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.

Source

https://chadnewman.com/my-father-died-i-asked-ai-what-to-do-next/