What to Do When Someone Dies in Florida

When someone dies, families often have to make decisions while they are still trying to understand what happened. You do not need to solve everything at once. In Florida, the most useful approach is to handle the truly time-sensitive steps first, protect important information and property, and then work through documents, benefits, legal questions, and accounts in a steady order.

This guide is a practical starting point. It is not legal, medical, tax, or financial advice, and individual situations can require help from the appropriate licensed professional.

Last reviewed: October 2, 2026, against current public guidance from the Florida Department of Health, Florida Courts, Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal Trade Commission, and Internal Revenue Service.

If the death just happened, start here

Contact the right immediate professional. For an unexpected death or emergency, contact 911 or the appropriate local authority. If the person was receiving hospice care, contact the hospice team. If the death occurred in a hospital or care facility, staff will usually guide the immediate process.
Choose one family coordinator. Keep a written record of calls, names, dates, reference numbers, and promised next steps.
Begin funeral, cremation, or other disposition arrangements. Ask for written prices and avoid feeling pressured to make every memorial decision during the first call.
Secure important documents and property. Protect the home, mail, medications, pets, vehicles, identification, estate documents, insurance information, and important digital devices.
Confirm authority before making irreversible financial or property decisions. Then work through death certificates, benefits, probate questions, accounts, insurance, taxes, and property in a deliberate order.

For a more detailed first-day checklist, read What to Do in the First 24 Hours After a Death in Florida.

Choose a funeral, cremation, or disposition provider

A funeral home or other disposition provider can help with transportation, permits, death-certificate coordination, burial or cremation arrangements, and memorial planning. You do not have to make every decision on the first call.

Federal consumer protections matter here. The Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule gives consumers rights to itemized price information and to select funeral goods and services individually, subject to limited required charges and applicable law. Ask for written prices and compare the total cost of the arrangements you are considering.

Helpful next steps:

Official reference: Federal Trade Commission — Funeral Costs and Pricing Checklist.

Order the death certificates you will actually need

Certified death certificates are commonly requested by financial institutions, insurers, courts, and other organizations. The number a family needs varies because some organizations require a certified copy while others may accept another form of documentation.

Florida’s Bureau of Vital Statistics explains who may order death certificates, the distinction between records with and without cause-of-death information, and the available ordering methods. Before ordering many copies, make a list of the institutions you expect to contact and ask what each one requires.

Protect documents, property, mail, and digital information

Locate important documents such as identification, a will or trust, insurance information, military records, property records, advance directives, and contact information for professionals already working with the family.

Secure the home, vehicles, pets, mail, medications, and important digital devices. Avoid distributing property, closing accounts, transferring assets, or paying estate obligations from your own funds until you understand who has authority to act and what process applies.

If a home is part of the estate, this guide can help organize the questions before making a sale, transfer, or long-term property decision: Inherited a Home in Florida? Practical Next Steps.

Understand whether probate or other estate administration may be involved

Florida Courts describes probate as a court-supervised process used to identify and gather a deceased person’s probate assets, pay appropriate debts, and distribute remaining assets to beneficiaries. Probate applies to probate assets, and Florida recognizes different forms of administration depending on the circumstances.

Because ownership, homestead, creditor, and beneficiary issues can be fact-specific, do not assume that a will alone answers every question. If the estate includes real estate, unresolved debts, family disagreement, unclear ownership, or other complexity, getting Florida legal guidance early can help families understand the applicable process.

Check Social Security and survivor benefits

The Social Security Administration says funeral homes generally report a death to Social Security. If a funeral home is not involved or the death is not reported for another reason, the family may need to contact Social Security. Certain surviving family members may also qualify for survivor benefits.

If the person was a Veteran, check burial and memorial benefits

Veterans, service members, and some family members may qualify for burial, memorial, cemetery, transportation, or other benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Eligibility depends on the person’s service and the specific benefit.

Work through debts, accounts, insurance, and taxes carefully

As legal authority becomes clear, build an inventory of the person’s accounts, recurring bills, insurance policies, debts, property, and tax records. Keep copies of correspondence and note which organizations have been contacted.

The IRS explains that a deceased person’s final individual income tax return is generally prepared similarly to a normal return, reporting income through the date of death. Who files and signs the return depends on the family and estate circumstances, so tax questions should be reviewed with an appropriate tax professional when needed.

Make room for grief and practical support

Administrative work can become a major burden at exactly the moment a family has the least capacity for it. Share tasks when possible. Keep a running list of what is urgent, what can wait, and which questions need a professional answer.

If grief is making day-to-day functioning difficult or someone needs more support, start with Grief Support: What Can Help and When to Reach Out.

A simple order for the next few weeks

Immediate: handle care of the person, required notifications, and funeral or disposition arrangements.
First few days: gather documents, secure property, order needed death certificates, and identify the person authorized to act.
First few weeks: address benefits, insurance, probate questions, recurring bills, property, accounts, and tax records.
As you have capacity: work through longer-term estate, property, financial, memorial, and family-support decisions.

Common questions after a death in Florida

How many death certificates should a family order?

There is no single number that fits every estate. Make a list of the organizations you expect to contact and ask whether each requires a certified copy before ordering a large quantity. Florida also distinguishes between death records with and without cause-of-death information.

Does every Florida estate have to go through probate?

No. Florida Courts explains that probate administration applies to probate assets, and the appropriate process depends on the estate and how assets were owned. A Florida attorney can help with questions about a specific estate.

Do I have to notify Social Security myself?

Often not. The Social Security Administration says funeral homes generally report a death. If a funeral home is not involved or does not report the death, contact Social Security directly.

Can I compare funeral prices before choosing a provider?

Yes. The FTC Funeral Rule gives consumers rights to itemized price information and, with limited exceptions, to choose the funeral goods and services they want. Asking for written prices can make comparisons easier.

Need help figuring out who to call?

You can browse local providers yourself, or use Request Help to describe what your family needs once and allow After Life Care Hub to help connect the request with appropriate eligible local providers. Your request is not posted publicly.

You can also use the free Time-of-Need Checklist to keep the immediate tasks organized.

Official sources reviewed

This guide was reviewed against current public information from the Florida Department of Health, Florida Courts, Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal Trade Commission, and Internal Revenue Service. Last reviewed October 2, 2026.