Obituary guides for difficult moments.
Clear, simple answers to the questions people ask most when they are trying to find an obituary or confirm a death.
Most read · Confirming a death
How to find out if someone has died
How do you find a person who passed away? Simple free ways to check, from funeral home obituaries to public records, and what to do if you find nothing.
Read GuideFinding an obituary
10 guides- 02 Finding an obituary Free obituary search: how to find an obituary online The best free obituary search methods and obituary finder tools, where to search first and how to narrow down common names. Read guide
- 03 Finding an obituary Where are obituaries published? Where obituaries are published today: funeral home websites, local newspapers and memorial sites, and how to search each one. Read guide
- 04 Finding an obituary How to find recent obituaries How to find recent obituaries from the last few days in any city or state, using funeral home pages, newspapers and alerts. Read guide
- 05 Finding an obituary How to find an obituary from years ago How to find old obituaries in newspaper archives, libraries, genealogy records and free obituary search tools, even decades later. Read guide
- 06 Finding an obituary How to find an obituary by name Search tips when all you have is a name, and how to add details that narrow the results. Read guide
- 07 Finding an obituary How to find an obituary without a date of death How to find an obituary without a date of death: work out roughly when the person died, then search the right places. Read guide
- 08 Finding an obituary How to find obituaries from a funeral home Where funeral homes post notices, how to search their pages and what to do if a page is gone. Read guide
- 09 Finding an obituary How to search newspaper obituaries Local papers, online editions and archives, and how to search each one well. Read guide
- 10 Finding an obituary How to find an obituary for a common name How to find an obituary for a common name like John Smith, using middle names, places, ages and family details to narrow it down. Read guide
- 11 Finding an obituary How to find obituaries in a city or county A local search plan: funeral homes, papers and memorial sites in one area. Read guide
Confirming a death
8 guides- 12 Confirming a death What if there is no obituary? Why some deaths have no public obituary, and other reliable ways to confirm a death when you cannot find a notice online. Read guide
- 13 Confirming a death Obituary or death notice: what’s the difference? Obituary or death notice? The difference between the two, who writes each one, what they cost and where you will find them. Read guide
- 14 Confirming a death How to find death records online How to find death records online: state vital records, death certificates and public indexes, and what each one shows. Read guide
- 15 Confirming a death How to check if someone died recently Quick checks for the last few days and weeks, before records are updated. Read guide
- 16 Confirming a death What is the Social Security Death Index? What the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) is, what an entry shows, why recent deaths are missing and where to search it free. Read guide
- 17 Confirming a death How to get a copy of a death certificate How to get a copy of a death certificate: who can order one, where to apply in each state, the cost and what you need. Read guide
- 18 Confirming a death How to find out where someone is buried Cemetery records, memorial sites and funeral homes that can point you to a grave. Read guide
- 19 Confirming a death How to find out how someone died Where the cause of death is recorded, who can see it and polite ways to ask. Read guide
Timing
5 guides- 20 Timing How long after a death is an obituary posted? How long after a death an obituary is usually posted, what can delay it, and where it appears first in the days that follow. Read guide
- 21 Timing How long do obituaries stay online? How long obituaries stay online on funeral home and newspaper sites, why some disappear, and how to save one you need. Read guide
- 22 Timing How quickly is a death reported? Who is told first, when records change and why news can take time to spread. Read guide
- 23 Timing How soon after a death is the funeral? How soon after a death the funeral usually takes place, what can delay the service and how to find the date and place. Read guide
- 24 Timing How long does it take to get a death certificate? How long it takes to get a death certificate, the usual steps and wait times, and how to plan estate tasks around them. Read guide
Alerts and monitoring
5 guides- 25 Alerts and monitoring How to get notified when someone dies How to get notified when someone dies: obituary alerts, Google Alerts and other ways to hear the news without searching every day. Read guide
- 26 Alerts and monitoring How obituary monitoring works What a monitoring service checks, how matching works and what alerts look like. Read guide
- 27 Alerts and monitoring Can you use Google Alerts for obituaries? Can you use Google Alerts for obituaries? How to set one up for a name, where it misses notices and what works better. Read guide
- 28 Alerts and monitoring How to track obituaries for several people How to track obituaries for several people at once, without checking funeral home and newspaper sites by hand every day. Read guide
- 29 Alerts and monitoring How to get obituary alerts for a city How to get obituary alerts for a city or county, so you hear about new local funeral home obituaries without searching. Read guide
Writing an obituary
5 guides- 30 Writing an obituary How to write an obituary: make one step by step How to make an obituary from the first line to the final read-through, plus free ways to create an obituary and publish it online. Read guide
- 31 Writing an obituary What to include in an obituary What to include in an obituary: the key facts, family, life story and service details most obituaries share, and what to skip. Read guide
- 32 Writing an obituary How to submit an obituary to a newspaper Deadlines, forms, photos and proofs, and how the funeral home can help. Read guide
- 33 Writing an obituary How much does an obituary cost? Why newspaper notices cost money, what changes the price and free places to post. Read guide
- 34 Writing an obituary Obituary templates and examples Free obituary templates and short sample obituaries you can copy and adapt, for a parent, grandparent, spouse or friend. Read guide
Funerals and services
6 guides- 35 Funerals and services How to choose and compare funeral homes How to compare funeral homes and mortuaries near you: what to ask, how to read a price list and how to find the best fit. Read guide
- 36 Funerals and services What does a funeral home do? The services a funeral home handles, from the first call to the obituary. Read guide
- 37 Funerals and services How much does a funeral cost? The main costs, what changes the total and ways to keep it manageable. Read guide
- 38 Funerals and services Burial or cremation: how to decide Burial or cremation: how the two compare on cost, timing, ceremony and memorials, to help your family decide with confidence. Read guide
- 39 Funerals and services What is a memorial service? How a memorial differs from a funeral, and how one is usually planned. Read guide
- 40 Funerals and services Funeral etiquette: what to know before you go Funeral etiquette explained: what to wear, what to say, flowers, donations, children at services and online condolences. Read guide
After a death
4 guides- 41 After a death What to do when someone dies What to do when someone dies, step by step: the first hours, the first days and the first weeks, with a simple checklist. Read guide
- 42 After a death Who to notify when someone dies Who to notify when someone dies: a checklist of family, government offices, banks, employers and companies to tell. Read guide
- 43 After a death How to close accounts after a death Banks, utilities, subscriptions and online accounts, and what each one needs. Read guide
- 44 After a death What is probate? A plain explanation of probate, when it is needed and how long it takes. Read guide
For professionals
4 guides- 45 For professionals Obituary monitoring for probate and estate attorneys How law firms keep track of clients and heirs without daily searching. Read guide
- 46 For professionals How estate teams confirm a death How estate, trust and insurance teams confirm a death: a practical process using obituaries, records and certificates. Read guide
- 47 For professionals Using obituaries for genealogy research What obituaries reveal about a family and how to find the ones you need. Read guide
- 48 For professionals Deceased account checks for lenders and collectors Spotting deceased account holders early and handling estates with care. Read guide
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