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Arranging matters in the event of a death

When a person dies, a lot has to be arranged. It can be difficult to focus attention on administrative matters. Try to start with that quickly. Otherwise, the costs can be high.

Read here the eight steps that are sensible to go through after a death. In this way you ensure that all administrative matters are in order after the death.

What to arrange in the event of a death?

Step 1: Make sure you have a death certificate:

In the event of a death, you should always contact your doctor first. He must officially determine the death. As soon as the death has been officially confirmed, a declaration must be made to the registry office. The funeral director often does this. He or she will give you a death certificate. Make multiple copies of this. You often need this to inform authorities.

Step 2: Check whether there is a funeral insurance policy:

Check whether funeral insurance has been taken out. This allows you to pay (part of) the funeral or cremation costs. Keep all accounts related to the death. You can deduct these costs that you are not reimbursed through the funeral insurance.

There can be (high) costs associated with a funeral. The Funeral Calculator shows you approximately what amount you can expect.

Step 3: Make sure you have a certificate of inheritance

The notary will give you a certificate of inheritance. This is an official statement containing information about the deceased, the estate and the heirs. You need this statement to arrange business with the bank. If a will has been drawn up, it makes the division of household effects and assets easier.

If the deceased’s bank balance is less than €100,000 and there is no will, a certificate of inheritance is not required. This saves notary fees.

In a will, the deceased may have designated who will arrange the settlement of the inheritance: the executor. The executor can be one of the heirs, but it can also be an outsider.

For more information, see erfwijzer.nl/executeur

The civil-law notary can also give you a power of attorney. With this you give someone an authorization to arrange the inheritance on behalf of all heirs.

Step 5: Find out if the deceased had a Life Partnership

Was there a life insurance policy? And/or was there a term life insurance policy linked to the mortgage? The surviving relatives can (partially) repay the mortgage debt with the amount that the insurance company pays out.

Tip: You can have a look up via the Dutch Association of Insurers to see whether the deceased had life insurance policies that pay out.

Step 5 : List the current health insurance and non-life insurance.

What insurance did the deceased have? You can cancel some insurance policies, such as health insurance and liability insurance immediately.

If the owner-occupied home of the deceased has yet to be sold, it may be wise to keep the home contents and building insurance policy on for as long as possible.

Step 6: Notify authorities.

Notify the following authorities of the death:

-Employer

-Pension fund

-Insurance companies

-Banks

-Organizations where the deceased has subscriptions and memberships

-Donorships

-Associations

-Residential Association

-Customer cards

If someone dies, the Social Insurance Bank is automatically informed. You can find out what the consequences are for the pensions and benefits paid by the SVB (AOW, Anw and child benefit) on svb.nl/overleden.

Step 7 Arrange the Banking

Make an appointment with the bank. Prepare well and put all your questions on paper. Also find out which products the deceased has at the bank:

checking accounts

savings accounts

Permissions

Direct debits

credit card

Annuities and single premium policies

Mortgage

Investments

bank vault

Loans

Discuss with the bank whether the accounts should be given a different name. Also ask if you can cancel products. These products can of course be taken out at different banks or authorities.

Tip: Do you want to check whether the deceased still has a bank account somewhere? The Dutch Banking Association (NVB) has opened a counter for dormant credit balances: Slaapde depositen.nl.

Step 9 : Make an overview of the new income and expenses

Is the deceased your partner? Then the Money Guide for Survivors is a useful starting point to find out for which financial arrangements for surviving dependents you are eligible.

To the Money Guide for Relatives

Because your family situation and income change, you may be entitled to benefits to which you were not previously entitled.

Read more about allowances

Expenses can also change. Insurance premiums and local charges (municipal levies and water board taxes) are lower for single-person households than for multi-person households. It is smart to list your income and expenses in the new situation.

A simple funeral costs € 4,800 on average.

Accept or refuse inheritance?

You can choose to refuse an inheritance. For example, if you expect debts to be left behind.

If you are considering this, you are not allowed to arrange anything after the death and you are not allowed to take anything from the deceased’s home. This can be seen as a signal that you accept the inheritance.