The Family Passbook
One document your spouse or family can open on the worst day of their life and know exactly what to do, who to call, and where everything is. Fill it once. Update it once a year. Keep one printed copy somewhere safe, and tell your spouse where.
Tip: print two copies of this cover page alone and keep one in your wallet or with your spouse — everything else can be found from page 12 (Where Things Are Kept).
The First 7 Days
Nobody thinks clearly under grief. This is the order most families actually need to follow — not a legal checklist, a practical one.
DAY 1–2- Get the medical certificate of cause of death from the hospital/doctor before the body is moved, if possible.
- Register the death with the local municipal office and get at least 8–10 original death certificate copies — you will need more than you think.
- Inform close family and the people listed on page 2.
- Do not rush to close or operate bank accounts — most joint accounts and nominated accounts can still be used by the surviving holder/nominee; ask the bank directly rather than assuming.
- Call the employer's HR to start the process for gratuity, PF, insurance, and pending salary/leave encashment.
- Inform every insurance company where a policy exists (life, health, vehicle) — claims have time limits.
- Do not make any big financial decisions (selling property, investments) in the first month.
- Meet the family CA or a financial advisor to map out what needs to be transmitted/claimed and its order.
- Check for a registered Will with the family lawyer or in the documents listed on page 12.
- Start transmission of mutual funds, demat holdings, and property as guided by the CA/RM — each has a different, specific form.
This page intentionally avoids exact legal steps, which vary by state and bank — use it as an order of operations, and lean on the professionals listed on page 2.
People to Call
Names your family may not otherwise have — write down how they know this person too, so a stranger's name doesn't feel strange.
Bank & Money
We deliberately don't ask for account numbers or passwords here — a document like this can be lost or photographed. Instead, note where the details are, and whether a nominee is registered.
Insurance
Every policy that exists but nobody remembers is money your family may never claim — insurers don't proactively search for beneficiaries.
Loans & Liabilities
Especially important if you have a home loan — check whether it carries a loan-cover / credit-life insurance policy, since that alone can pay it off.
Investments & Retirement
Tip: run your spouse's PAN on SEBI's MITRA and the RBI UDGAM portal once a year — a large amount of investment and deposit money in India goes unclaimed simply because families don't know an account exists.
Property & Vehicles
IDs & Legal Papers
If there's no Will yet — this passbook is not a substitute for one. Even a simple registered Will avoids months of legal heir certificate delays for your family.
Digital Life
Again, no passwords written here on purpose. Just enough for your family to find the door.
Employer & Benefits
Children & Dependents
Where Everything Physically Is
The one page most families actually need in a hurry.
My Wishes
Entirely optional. Only fill this if it brings you and your family peace, not pressure.