Framework
The Capacity Frame
A triage tool for a mind that cannot triage, sorting the load into three honest piles.
When everything feels equally urgent, nothing can be started. This sorts the load into three piles, weighted honestly toward the bottom, because the truth most people are never told is that almost everything after a death can wait. Add your own tasks, and see how few of them truly belong at the top.
This week
Almost nothing truly belongs here. Only what protects people, pets, or property.
- Care for any dependents or pets
- Secure the home and any vehicles
- Order several certified death certificates
This month
Time sensitive, but not immediate. A steady pace is enough.
- Notify Social Security and the employer
- Decide on COBRA if a notice arrives, within 60 days
- Locate the will and any account beneficiaries
No deadline at all
The largest pile, and the one grief tries to move up. Let it stay here.
- Probate, which in most states has no strict clock
- Closing accounts and cancelling subscriptions
- The Social Security 255 dollar payment, within two years
- Sorting belongings and the home