The Pros and Cons of Executor Checklists

Funeral homes vary in the support they provide with estate settlement. Some offer robust services - like dedicated aftercare staff - and others offer simpler solutions. One of the most common tools funeral directors offer is an Executor checklist. Our recent online survey found that roughly 40% of executors in Canada and USA had used a checklist provided by a funeral home. Executor checklists come by a number of titles including:

Executor to-do list
Executor duties list
Estate settlement checklist
Checklist for estate administration
After a death checklist
What to do when someone dies
What to do after death
Post-loss checklist

These lists are usually one to three page documents outlining the steps required to settle a loved one’s affairs. They inform clients about the need to complete probate applications, government notifications, benefits, insurance and pension claims, and asset management tasks. Lists like this are given out not only by funeral directors but also by lawyers, insurance providers, and accountants. For funeral directors, the list is typically provided during an arranging meeting or as part of an aftercare program.

So what are the pros and cons of this tool for estate management?

Let's look at the positives first.

Clearly, executor checklists are simple and straightforward: people can easily read through a checklist, monitor their progress, and keep the document handy, either in a physical or digital format.
Lists are efficient, delivering a lot of information in a concise form.
They are also affordable, whether costing 15 cents per printed page or as a free PDF or Microsoft Word file. This is one tool that won’t break the bank.
All in all, checklists are helpful as initial orientation documents, introducing family members and executors to their legal, financial, and institutional obligations.

Now, let's look at the downsides.

Although they may be concise, checklists can be overwhelming since they provide little context for completing executor tasks. Usually, internet searches have to be completed to find instructions and forms.
As an extension of this, checklists are one-size-fits-all solutions, meaning that regional or local variations in processes, structures, and institutions are not presented.
One of the biggest disadvantages of checklists is that they can easily become outdated. To confront this, funeral home staff either need to update the checklists on regular basis or rely on others to inform them when information has become out of date.
Checklists are rarely “comprehensive” or “complete”- even when they are claimed to be so. Many funeral homes will be upfront about this, informing their families that the list is not exhaustive and should be supplemented with further research (a good idea, since it prevents executors from being disappointed if or when the list is missing something).
As a final disadvantage, executor checklists usually require some follow-up to clarify processes, timelines, or roles not fully explained in the checklist. In other words, the checklist document itself is more of a starting point rather than being a complete solution to estate management.

Begin ID: The caption of this info graphic will begin below.

Pros:

Understandable format
Affordable
Helps families broadly understand duties
Big picture/timeline

Cons:

Overwhelming
One-size-fits-all: families do not know which tasks do or do not apply to them
Can become outdated
Not comprehensive
Lacking instructions and forms
Narrow geographic scope
follow-up and clarification often needed from funeral home staff.

Overall, executor checklists are a valuable starting point for clients of funeral homes and estate lawyers. Still, for a solution that is comprehensive, up-to-date, and tailored to the executors’ particular circumstances, Cadence’s digital and human-supported services may be a more appropriate option. With access to expert support and tools to speed up the paperwork, Cadence saves families time, helps them move through the estate settlement process with confidence, and provides grief support along the way. Book a demo to learn more about how Cadence can benefit your funeral home.

If you’d like to read more about different estate management solutions and their benefits and drawbacks, see our White Paper , titled Supporting Families with Estate Settlement: Challenges & Opportunities for Funeral Service Professionals. In the paper, we outline the merits and limitations of the most common funeral home solutions to estate administration, including checklists, estate kits, final document services, and more.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Why Cadence Exists: A Founder’s Story

February 9, 2026

When my mom died, I left the funeral home with a checklist. It didn’t feel helpful. It felt crushing. I remember sitting at my kitchen table afterward, crying, staring at a list of things I was suddenly responsible for—forms to fill out, accounts to close, tasks to complete. I searched online for guidance, typed my mom’s date of death into one form after another, and felt the weight of it all pressing down at a moment when I was least able to cope. What struck me most wasn’t just the grief. It was the absence of a clear path forward. Instead of structure or support, I found broken, fragmented systems—and an overwhelming amount of responsibility placed on people in the rawest moments of their lives At the time, I assumed this was just my experience. Discovering a Shared Reality Over the years, that assumption proved wrong. Through volunteering in hospice, talking with families, and working alongside care providers, I began to hear the same story again and again. The confusion. The overwhelm. The feeling of being left alone to navigate a complicated web of tasks after loss. What I experienced wasn’t the exception. It was the norm And that realization stayed with me. A Better Way After Loss The period after a death is one of the most vulnerable times in a person’s life. Yet it’s also when we ask families to become administrators, coordinators, and decision-makers—often without guidance, clarity, or continuity of care. That didn’t feel right. Cadence exists because that time after loss deserves more structure, more clarity, and more care than it’s been given That belief is the foundation of everything we do. Built for Families, With Funeral Homes We built Cadence for families—but we work hand in hand with funeral homes. Why? Because funeral homes are often the last place families feel truly supported , and at the same time, the first place where responsibility begins Funeral professionals show up for families at an incredibly meaningful moment. Cadence is designed to extend that care beyond the service itself—helping families navigate what comes next with confidence instead of confusion. Doing This Together Cadence is not about replacing human connection. It’s about strengthening it. We’re here to do this work together—with funeral homes, care providers, and families—so no one feels abandoned once the ceremony ends. Supporting families long after the service isn’t an extra. It’s the work. And that’s why I built Cadence. About Rachel Drew, CEO & Founder of Cadence Rachel Drew is the Founder and CEO of Cadence. She founded the company after recognizing a critical gap in support for families following a death. With experience working alongside hospice providers, care teams, and funeral professionals, Rachel leads Cadence with a focus on extending care beyond the service and strengthening the role funeral homes play in supporting families long-term.

Identity Theft Awareness Week: Tips for Lowering the Hidden Risk After a Death

By Cydney Schwartz • January 27, 2026

When someone dies, their identity doesn’t automatically disappear. And for families, that reality can create risks they never expected to manage. In the weeks and months that follow a death, families are juggling grief, paperwork, and a long list of unfamiliar responsibilities. During this time, a person’s identity is often still active across financial institutions, government agencies, and digital platforms, quietly creating an overlooked window of vulnerability. This risk is commonly referred to as deceased identity theft or “ghosting.” While it’s rarely talked about, consumer protection agencies consistently warn that it’s a real and ongoing issue—one that can add unnecessary stress and financial harm to families already navigating loss. This Identity Theft Awareness Week we’re helping families understand the risks after a loss, and how to limit them.