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Keeping up with administrative schedules
Death formalities: How can I be sure to respect the administration's timetable?
It is often difficult to cope with the many administrative formalities after a death. The formalities involved can be complex and tedious,adding further pressure at an already difficult time.
What's more, deadlines vary depending on the process .This can add to the existing confusion and stress.
We'll look at the common difficulties encountered in meeting deadlines and offer solutions to overcome them.
Strict deadlines imposed by administrations
The deadlines imposed by certain authorities can pose real difficulties for bereaved families. Deadlines vary according to the formalities to be completed and the organizations to be contacted. For instance, the declaration of inheritance must be made within 6 months of the death,while the application for survivor's pension must be made within 12 months of death. Failure to meet these deadlines can lead to complications for the deceased's next of kin, both in terms of administrative formalities and finances. For more information, we have prepared a calendar of events after a death.
The complexity of administrative procedures after death
Most of the administrative formalities following a death must be completed within a set timeframe and can be an obstacle for bereaved families. The formalities involved can be numerous and complex, making it difficult to understand the procedures to be followed. What's more, the documents required can be difficult to gather and provide within tight deadlines. These difficulties can be exacerbated in the event of a dispute between heirs.
What are the deadlines in the event of death?
When a death occurs, certain post-death administrative procedures must be carried out within specific timeframes in order to comply with current regulations. It's important to find out about the deadlines for each stage, to avoid any delays or complications in the formalities.We present the deadlines for each step: declaring the death, obtaining the death certificate, organizing the funeral and notifying the various organizations.
Deadlines for declaration of death
The declaration of death must be made within 24 hours of death,except on weekends or public holidays, when the deadline is extended to 48 hours. This declaration must be made at the town hall of the place of death or at the town hall of the deceased's domicile. It is important to note that failure to declare a death may result in penalties.
Deadlines for obtaining the death certificate
The death certificate is issued by the town hall. of the place of death or by the physician who certified the death. The time required to issue the certificate varies according to the situation.. In the case of natural death, the certificate is issued immediately. In the case of violent or suspicious death, an investigation must be carried out before the certificate is issued, which can take several days.
Deadlines for funeral arrangements
The funeral must take place in the six days following the death, unless otherwise authorized by the Prefect.
This period may be extended if the family faces particular difficulties.
Deadlines for notifying various bodies
Notification of the death to various bodies must be made as soon as possible. Timescales vary depending on the organization to be contacted. For example, for the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales, notification must be made within 2 months following the death, while for the Social securitythis must be done within 7 days. It's important to find out about the deadlines for each organization, to avoid any delays.
Failure to meet deadlines
Late delivery may result in sanctions and penalties for bereaved families. In the event of a delay in declaring an inheritance, for example, heirs can be subject to a fine equivalent to 1.5 % of inheritance tax.
Likewise, failure to repay debts on time may result in penalties and additional charges. It is therefore essential to follow the administrative procedures after death to avoid any financial and administrative inconvenience.
Consequences of failure to meet deadlines
Failure to meet deadlines may result in delays in obtaining benefits due to beneficiaries. This delay in administrative procedures can have significant financial repercussions for the loved ones of the deceased, who may find themselves in a precarious situation, particularly if they are financially dependent on the deceased.
Failure to meet deadlines can also lead to bank accounts being frozen of the deceased, which can delay the distribution of the inheritance and the management of the family's day-to-day expenses.
Finally, failure to meet deadlines can also result in the risk of having to repay sums wrongly received. If post-death administrative procedures are not completed within the allotted time, heirs may be required to collect sums that are not due to them, or to collect them wrongly.
What administrative steps need to be taken after a death?
Following the death of a loved one, it's often difficult to know what administrative formalities need to be carried out, and in what order. However, these formalities are important to avoid any subsequent problems with the various organizations involved.
Declaration of death
The first step is the declaration of death. This statement must be made within 24 hours following the death, at the town hall of the place of death or the town hall of the deceased's place of residence.
The person taking these steps after a death must be in possession of the death certificate, which will be issued by a doctor. The declaration of death enables an act of death to be produced, which will be required for further formalities.
Retrieving the death certificate
The death certificate is issued by a doctor and must be collected before the declaration of death can be made. It can be delivered at home or in hospital or in retirement homes.
This certificate states the name,the first name, date and place of birth, as well as the first and last names of the deceased's parents. It is also required for life insurance, pension and inheritance formalities.
Funeral arrangements
Organizing a funeral is an important step and must be carried out quickly.
Administrative procedures after death are: choosing the type of ceremony, the coffin or urn, as well as the place and date of the funeral..
It is also possible to hire a funeral director to take care of all the formalities.
Notify the various organizations
After the funeral, it is important to notify the various organizations administrative procedures after death, such as :
- Social security and mutual insurance
- Pension funds
- Banks, insurance companies
Further information : a list of organizations to contact in the event of death.
It is important to notify these to close the deceased's accounts and regularize its situation with these organizations. It is also necessary to inform the town hall of the place of death or the town hall of the deceased's domicile, in order to update the civil status register.
Administrative procedures after death: Postumo can help you
Postumo is a platform specialized in assisting bereaved families and loved ones with all the administrative formalities involved in the death of a loved one. Our service enables families to meet deadlines imposed by administrations, detect social or financial assistance to which they are entitled, to carry out a complete inventory of procedures and information to be collected, and making all these steps easy, thanks to pre-filled templates tailored to each individual's life path.
With our company, families can benefit from personalized support tailored to their situation, to ease their pain during this difficult period. What's more, our team is here to help relatives avoid common mistakes in these complex procedures and to garantir que toutes les démarches sont correctement effectuées et dans les délais impartis.
- Ensuring deadlines are met to avoid adverse consequences
- Avoid errors and oversights due to the complexity of post-death formalities
- Reassure beneficiaries with personalized support
- Save time by outsourcing formalities to professionals
Choose peace of mind
With its money-back guarantee and the promise not to take any commission on social or financial aid obtained, Postumo is committed to transparency and quality.
Our mission is to offer everyone the peace of mind of knowing that, at a difficult time, the administrative procedures and formalities required after a death are handled in a complete and optimal way.
Supporting you for greater peace of mind afterwards.
Other services available in our offer
In addition to respecting government schedules, we offer other services to help with administrative procedures after death to support loved ones through this difficult period.
Frequently asked questions
The most urgent administrative procedures following a death are to declare the death and have it registered at the town hall of the place of death, to contact a funeral service as soon as possible after the death especially in the presence of afuneral contract,to contact the employer or Pôle, ...
Deadlines vary depending on the importance of the file. If the heir accepts the inheritance, certain steps must be taken as soon as possible, in particular when one must notify the town hall, an employee at home, the employer or, among others, the employment center. On the other hand, when it is necessary to call on a notary, certain procedures cannot be carried out immediately because you will have to provide supporting documents such as a certificate of notoriety. However, we advise you to take as many steps as possible . The heirs are liable for debts (e.g. rent, subscriptions, etc.). Finally, some financial aid can be recovered from the estate, so it is important to prevent this as quickly as possible.
You must call a notary if you are in one of the following cases:
The estate includes real estate
The estate includes real estate,
the amount of the inheritance is equal to or greater than 5000€ but also in the presence of a will or a donation between spouses.
While it is not mandatory, it's recommended to do it between 2 days to 6 days, you should be aware that it is often the availability of the funeral home that will dictate the date of the funeralIn France, the law indicates that the time between death and burial must be between 24 hours and 6 days maximum.Only working days are taken into account in this period. ouvrables sont pris en compte dans ce délai.
At first, upon notification of the death of one of the holders, the joint accounts are not blocked; however, a creditor (child, credit institution, recognition of debts, etc.) may request the blocking of the account at any time. Individual accounts are automatically blocked upon notification of the holder's death.
It is up to the heirs to contact the public finance center to act on the withholding tax, housing or property tax and for those who have not renounced the inheritance to send the declaration. The legatees and donees are not jointly responsible either with each other or with the heirs. Each of them must therefore make a declaration. The notary can carry out this process but the heir will always be held responsible in the event of an error. Finally, in the event of a joint declaration on income (couple) and when the death occurs during the tax year, the surviving spouse will have to make two declarations. One concerning the period from January 1 to the date of death and the other concerning the period from the date of death to December 31 of the current year.
Decisions concerning funerals such as the date of burial, the place (vault, cemetery, columbarium), the type of ceremony (religious, civil) as well as the type of burial (burial, cremation) belong to the family members that are closest to the dead person. If the deceased person has not left recommendations on the preparation of their funeral, all decisions to be made fall to their family. In general, case law leaves this privilege to the spouse (if he or she is still alive), then to the child or, failing that, to the parents.
Since January 1, 2011, funeral operators have been required to be based on a standard quote in order to bring more transparency to families. The average price varies depending on the regions, cities, operator and the quality of the services chosen. it costs between €3,000 and €3,600 depending on the type of funeral chosen (cremation or burial). At this price, we must consider including the cost of a concession in a cemetery (freely set by the town hall), in a collective/private columbarium or, among other things, the cost of marble work.
The banking establishment must be notified as soon as possible. Furthermore, the heir can be provided with the necessary documents which will allow them to become aware of the deductions or transfers made to the account. This information is important for the proper management of administrative procedures.
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