At Boles Funeral Home, our service extends beyond the funeral service. We know that the responsibility for administering the estate of a loved one can seem confusing and frightening - especially at a time when you are making many emotional adjustments. You may feel overwhelmed by the many details that need to be handled.

• A widow or widower age 60 or older (50 if disabled), or at any age if caring for an entitled child who is under 16 or disabled.
• A divorced widow or widower age 60 or older (50 if disabled), if the marriage lasted 10 years or caring for an entitled child under 16 or disabled.
• Unmarried children up to 18 (19 if they are attending a primary or secondary school full time).
• Children who are disabled before reaching 22, as long as they remain disabled.

• A surviving spouse who lived in the same household as the deceased person at the time of death.
• A surviving spouse eligible for or entitled to benefits for the month of death.
• A child(ren) eligible or entitled to benefits for the month of death.

• Your Social Security number and the Social Security number of the deceased worker
• Proof of the deceased worker's earnings for the last year (W-2 forms or self-employment tax return)
• Your birth certificate
• A marriage certificate, if you are applying for benefits as a widow, widower, divorced wife, or divorced husband
• A divorce decree, if you are applying as a divorced husband or wife
• Children's birth certificates and Social Security numbers, if applying for children's benefits
• Your checking or savings account information, if you desire direct deposit of your benefits

If the deceased was receiving Social Security benefits, any checks which arrive after death will need to be returned to the Social Security office. If Social Security checks were being directly deposited into a bank account, the bank also needs to be notified.

Military veterans and their dependents are entitled to a variety of benefits depending on their circumstances. Contact the Veterans Affairs office to determine what benefit can be claimed and then gather the information requested.

Before you can file, you will need . . .

• Certified copy of or original DD214 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation).
• Certified copy of or original marriage certificate.
• Certified copy of Death Certificate.
• Verification of amount of life insurance you will receive as a result of veteran's death.
• Paid receipts for funeral and cemetery expense.
• Paid receipts for hospital and doctor bills incurred by last illness, if applicable.
• Social Security number for yourself and your dependent children

If the veteran or yourself was previously married . . .

• A certified copy of or the original divorce decree, or a Death Certificate proving the previous marriage was dissolved by divorce or death.

If there are dependent children . . .

• For children under the age of 18, or over 18 bust still in school, you will need a certified copy of or original birth certificates for each.
• If over 18 and still in school, you will need VA Form 21-674 filled out.

If either of you currently receive Social Security benefits . . .

• You will need to know the exact amount received for each of you.

If you already have a VA claim number . . .

• You must furnish the VA with the claim number you have been assigned.

If either of you receive additional income . . .

• The source and exact amount of the benefit must be retorted to the VA.

Certain changes in North Carolina Law concerning personal deposit accounts can benefit you if you have a checking, savings, or certificate of deposit account. If you have not already done so, you may wish to take advantage of one of the account options listed below. Please contact your bank for further information.

Prior to the enactment of this new legislation, a surviving account owner on a two-party joint account could receive only 50% of the funds immediately, with the remainder being held until the estate is settled. With an Absolute Right of Survivorship account, the surviving account owner will normally receive 100% of the funds upon the death of a co-owner. To establish Absolute Right of Survivorship on an existing account, all the co-owners must do is sign a new signature card.

This account is available for individual account owners who wish to name an agent to manage their account. The account owner avoids the legal fees associated with establishing a formalized Power of Attorney relationship. In the event of the account owner's death, the agency relationship is terminated, and the funds are distributed to the estate of the deceased. There is an additional option in this type of account that could be enacted due to the incapacity of the owner of the account. Contact your bank.

A bank trust account allows an individual account owner to name a beneficiary on an account. The account owner continues to have complete control over the account during his or her lifetime. Upon death of the account owner, the funds in the account are distributed directly to the beneficiary. Probate and estate settlement will not delay this distribution.

At most banks, the election of one of these account options requires only the signing of a new signature card.

• Contact credit card companies to notify them of the death. Some credit card and charge accounts include a life insurance policy. If the card is jointly held, find out what documentation is needed to change cards into survivor's name.
• Other assets that need to be changed include real estate, car titles, stocks, bonds, and other bank accounts. You may need to begin probate proceedings to accomplish legal ownership of these assets.
• Gather all bills and make sure you are aware of all credit obligations of the deceased.
• Gather all sources of retirement funds, including IRA's that the deceased was receiving and apply for any benefits that are due to you.
• Change all utilities from the deceased's name. Many, if not all, of these accounts should be placed into a joint account with another family member to help in processing future real estate.

Within 30 days of the date of death, a representative of the deceased will need to go to the office of the Clerk of Court, Estates Division. The purpose is to begin the process of the administration of the estate of the deceased.

You will not be given any legal advice from this office as they are prohibited from giving such advice. For this reason, you may want to consider the services of an attorney, especially if there are considerable assets in the estate, i.e. land, houses, buildings, vehicles, campers, stocks, bonds, etc.

• It is appropriate to send acknowledgement cards within one to two weeks from the time of the service as a thanks for flowers, spiritual, bouquets, and other acts of kindness.
  
  
• Letters and telegrams require a few written words. These expressions can be written inside of your regular acknowledgment card. If the deceased was a prominent person or public official, the regular card without the note is sufficient.
  
  
• Memorial contributions or flowers may be acknowledged with a few personal words written inside of the acknowledgment card.
  
  
• For other acts of kindness including Bearers, Honorary Bearers, or friends who offer their cars or services, a personal note may be written inside the regular acknowledgment card.
  
  

• Contact all life insurance companies with which the deceased had policies. Request a claim form or ask for help from the local agent. Send in the claim form, the policy, and a certified copy of the Death Certificate. If you need any help, your funeral director can assist you.
  
  
• Contact all health insurance companies to notify them of the death and stop coverage on the deceased.
  
  
• Review your own insurance needs. Often, these needs can change after the death of a family member or other loved one. Good organization of your own insurance information can aid survivors at the time this information is needed.