We help you through
the hardest days
When someone dies, the paperwork and decisions can feel overwhelming. We break it all down into simple steps, personalized for your state and situation. Completely free.
No account needed. No email required. Just helpful guidance.
How Help After Life Works
Answer a few questions about your situation, and we will create a personalized checklist with only the steps that apply to you, specific to your state.
Tell Us Your Situation
Answer questions about your state, relationship to the deceased, and their circumstances. Takes about 3 minutes.
Get Your Personalized Guide
We filter out everything that does not apply and give you a clear, prioritized checklist of what to do and when.
Work Through It At Your Pace
Check off tasks as you complete them. Your progress is saved automatically. Come back anytime.
Everything You Need, In One Place
Personalized Checklist
Answer a few questions about your situation and get a customized step-by-step guide with only the tasks that apply to you.
State-Specific Guides
Every state has different probate rules, death certificate costs, and estate tax laws. Find the exact information for your state.
Veterans Benefits
If your loved one served in the military, you may be entitled to burial benefits, survivor compensation, health insurance, and education assistance.
Social Security Help
Navigate survivors benefits, the lump sum death payment, and how to notify the Social Security Administration.
Medical Debt Guide
Understand which medical debts the estate owes, what you are personally liable for, and how to negotiate or reduce bills.
Deadline Tracker
Enter the date of death and see every critical deadline: COBRA enrollment, probate filing, tax returns, insurance claims, and more.
In-Depth Guides
Comprehensive guidance on every aspect of dealing with a death in America.
Probate Guide
How probate works, when you can avoid it, and what to expect
Funeral Costs
What funerals actually cost and your rights under federal law
Debt After Death
Which debts die with the person and which survive
Estate Tax
Federal and state estate tax thresholds and exemptions
Health Insurance
COBRA, marketplace enrollment, and Medicare transitions
Identity Protection
Prevent identity theft of the deceased
Retirement Accounts
Inherited IRA and 401(k) rules under the SECURE Act
Death Certificates
Find where to order, costs, and contact info by county
Support & Crisis Help
Grief counseling, support groups, and crisis hotlines
Every State Is Different
Probate thresholds range from $10,000 to over $150,000. Death certificate costs vary from $5 to $25. Twelve states and DC have their own estate tax. Nine states use community property rules. Our state guides give you the exact information for where your loved one lived.
Find Your State GuideWhy We Built This
When someone dies, the last thing you need is to spend hours searching for basic information across dozens of government websites. We created Help After Life to put everything in one place, written in plain language, organized by what you need to do first. No ads, no upselling, no account required. Just genuinely helpful guidance during the hardest time of your life.
100% Free
No hidden costs, no premium tiers, no paywalls. Every guide, tool, and checklist is completely free.
No Account Needed
Start using our tools immediately. Your progress saves to your browser automatically.
Regularly Updated
Tax thresholds, benefit amounts, and legal requirements change. We keep our information current.
Not sure where to start?
Our personalized guide asks a few simple questions and tells you exactly what to do, in the right order, for your specific state and situation.
Get Your Free Personalized Guide