After a death in New York, start with the person and office that can act.

The useful order

1. 1.

   Start the record with a licensed funeral director.

   New York requires a licensed and registered funeral director to handle the care, moving, preparation, and burial or cremation of the person who died. The funeral director files the death certificate and can usually order certified copies. Ask when the record is expected to be registered, especially when a medical examiner or coroner is completing part of it.

2. 2.

   Confirm who controls disposition.

   New York's order starts with an agent properly named in a written instrument, then a surviving spouse, domestic partner, adult children, a parent, and adult siblings before moving to later categories. The person named as executor in a will is not automatically first in that order. Tell the funeral director about any written appointment, disagreement, order of protection, or uncertainty before signing disposition instructions.

3. 3.

   Use the record office for the place of death.

   A death in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, or Staten Island goes through NYC Health. A death elsewhere in New York goes through the local registrar where it happened or New York State Vital Records. The person's home address does not change that split. Ask each bank, insurer, court, and benefit office whether it needs a certified original or will accept a copy, and keep a list of every certificate sent out.

4. 4.

   Find the original will and map how each asset is titled.

   Keep the original will exactly as found, including its staples. List real property, sole-name accounts, joint accounts, named-beneficiary assets, vehicles, debts, and possible claims before choosing a court form. The usual court is Surrogate's Court in the county where the person had their primary residence. A regular estate with a will uses probate; one without a will uses administration.

5. 5.

   Test the $50,000 small-estate lane carefully.

   Voluntary administration may be available with or without a will when the gross personal property covered by the estate is $50,000 or less. It does not administer New York real property held in the person's name alone, and it does not give authority to bring a personal-injury or wrongful-death claim. The filing generally needs the small-estate affidavit, a certified death certificate, the original will if there is one, and a separate court certificate for each listed asset or task.

6. 6.

   Wait for proof of estate authority.

   Banks and agencies commonly ask for Letters Testamentary from probate, Letters of Administration when there is no will, or Certificates of Voluntary Administration for a small estate. The court-appointed fiduciary uses that proof to collect estate property, pay estate expenses, debts, and taxes, and make distributions. Being a relative or controlling the funeral does not by itself create that authority.

7. 7.

   Stop benefits and open survivor claims.

   Confirm that the funeral home reported the death to Social Security; call SSA if it did not, and ask about survivor benefits at the same time. A Social Security payment for the month of death must be returned. Then contact the person's employer, pension or retirement system, life insurer, health or public-benefit program, and any VA, military, or federal employee program that applies. Record the date, contact, documents requested, and claim number for each notice.

8. 8.

   Close taxes, accounts, and identity records.

   The personal representative may need to file final federal and New York personal income tax returns, and the estate may have separate fiduciary-income or estate-tax filings. Follow the IRS and New York instructions for the year of death. Notify banks, card issuers, credit bureaus, DMV, the passport office, and the local board of elections as applicable; use IdentityTheft.gov if the person's information is misused. New York DMV has a separate death-certificate path for the license, plates, registration, and title.