First steps after someone dies
Work through what usually needs doing first, and what can wait, using the list in SecureKeep.
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Open the first-steps checklist
In SecureKeep, go to Settings > Share Vault Access. In the For your executor card, tap Preview the first-steps checklist. This is the list your family will see, so it's worth reading once yourself.
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Pick your country
The list opens on the country your phone is set to, or on Everywhere if SecureKeep has no notes for it yet. Tap United States, United Kingdom or India to see that country's steps. The rules differ, so choose the country where the death happened.
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Start with the first 48 hours
The First 48 hours section holds what usually comes first, like registering the death or getting a medical certificate. Tap a step to tick it off. Tap Show details to read more.
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Move on to the first 30 days
The First 30 days section holds what can usually wait a little: telling banks, finding insurance and pensions, and tax. Some steps have a time limit, and the details say so.
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Check each source before you act
Every step names its official source. Tap Source under a step to read it in your browser. The list says what usually happens and tells you who to check with. It never replaces what the organisation or a lawyer tells you.
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Open the list of things to claim
Back in For your executor, tap See what to claim and how many to order. Under Things to claim or check, SecureKeep lists what might be waiting, like life insurance policies, bank accounts, pensions and unclaimed property. It decides which rows to show from the categories of what's in the vault, without opening any item.
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Decide how many death certificates to order
Under Death certificates, SecureKeep suggests a starting number of certified copies: one for each bank, insurer and government account in the vault. Two accounts with the same bank often need only one, so use the plus and minus buttons to change it. The number is SecureKeep's own estimate, not an official figure, and it stays on this phone.
Good to know
- General guidance, not legal advice. Check with the organisation or a lawyer.
- SecureKeep counts what's in this vault. It can't see accounts that were never added.
- Your ticks stay on this phone, and they're removed with the vault. They aren't in your backups.
If it doesn't work
- The list of things to claim looks short
- It only shows what the vault points to, plus a few things worth checking every time. Accounts that were never added to the vault can't appear.
- The list shows steps for the wrong country
- Tap the country you want above the list. SecureKeep only guesses from your phone's region.
- A source link doesn't open
- Check that your phone is online and has a browser. You can also search for the organisation named under Source and find the page yourself.
- My ticks are gone
- Ticks are kept per vault on one phone. A new phone, a different vault, or a deleted vault starts with none ticked.
- A step doesn't match what the organisation told me
- Follow the organisation. The list is a starting point, and rules and forms change.
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