Your situation
Your parent has died and you need a safe first sequence before handling money, property, accounts, or records.
What to check first
Obtain or confirm proof of death.
Secure the home, pets, vehicles, mail, keys, and essential property.
Locate the will and identify the named executor or other estate representative.
Do not assume the former POA can continue acting.
Identify urgent bills, insurance, benefits, tax, and banking issues without distributing assets prematurely.
Common rule
Authority often changes at death. Estate authority comes from the will, court appointment, or other applicable law—not simply from having been the POA during life.
What not to assume
Do not move or distribute estate money just because you were helping before death.
Do not close accounts, sell property, or use the deceased person’s credentials without verified authority.
Do not assume every notification must happen on the first day.
What you can do now
Secure and preserve.
Locate will and authority documents.
Create a list of institutions and deadlines.
Confirm who can legally act before major transactions.
When professional help becomes important
Prompt estate/legal review is appropriate when there is no clear representative, competing wills, family conflict, business interests, real estate, significant debt, or multi-state assets.
Jurisdiction matters
Au Québec, la liquidation de la succession relève du liquidateur et suit des démarches propres, dont son inscription officielle et, au besoin, l’ouverture d’un compte de succession.
After death, estate authority belongs to the personal representative under the will or court process, not to the former attorney under an Enduring Power of Attorney.
After death, estate administration moves to the estate trustee named in the will or appointed by the court; the former POA role is not the estate role.