Although it feels like your whole world has stopped when your husband dies so suddenly, the bills, the paperwork, and the constant decisions facing you can be a complex and painful reminder that the business side of his life hasn't stopped. It's natural to feel overwhelmed by the thought of having to suddenly make so many decisions relating to your husband's life and death and maybe to assume responsibility for things that you've never dealt with before like financial matters.

First, your spouse has an "estate", which sounds daunting enough. If you are the executor of that estate according to his will, you'll have several responsibilities to take care of, which we outline in the following sections. Even if you aren't the executor of your husband's will, or he didn't have a will, you'll still have a lot of business affairs relating to his life to deal with. Even though you may just want it all to go away, and so you put things in a pile to deal with later, it's crucial not to ignore the paperwork and tasks like obtaining copies of his death certificate, paying bills, and filing for benefits. Although all of it may be painful reminders of your husband's life and death, it is crucial to organize yourself or get help as these matters still directly affect you and your family. For example, failing to pay credit card bills listed in his name will affect your credit; collecting and investing benefit payouts will be essential financial building blocks for you and your family's future; etc. By breaking the process down into manageable steps, you can make the decisions you're being asked to make knowing that you're honoring your husband and caring for your family at the same time.