For families after a loss
There is so much to do. You don’t have to hold it all in your head.
Omuna turns the weeks after a death into one organized list your whole family can share, one step at a time.
Free to start. Stop and come back whenever you need to.
Grief, and a to-do list nobody handed you.
The phone calls start before you’ve had time to sit down. Everyone has a question, and you are somehow the person who is meant to know.
It’s a lot. Most of it can wait a day. Some of it can’t, and that is the part we help you see.
- Who am I supposed to call first?
- Did someone already tell the bank, or was that meant to be me?
- I keep writing things on the back of envelopes.
- My brother wants to help, but I don’t know what to give him.
The weeks ahead, in four parts.
70 tasks, grouped by when they tend to come up. You never have to look at all of them at once. Here are a few from each part.
The first day or two
Getting started
The things that can’t wait: looking after anyone who depended on them, telling the people closest to you, and choosing a funeral home.
- Arrange care for pets or dependents
- Notify close family and friends
- Select a funeral home or provider
The first couple of weeks
Ceremony & Protection
Planning the service the way they would have wanted, and protecting their home and identity while you do.
- Set the date and time for services
- Compose and submit obituary
- Freeze credit reports at major agencies
When you’re ready for the paperwork
Legal & Financial
Insurance, benefits, bills and accounts, one call at a time. Where a step usually needs an attorney or a tax professional, the task says so.
- Notify life insurance companies
- Apply for Social Security survivor benefits
- Find and close bank accounts
At the end
Estate & Closing
Passing on what they left, filing the last tax returns, and closing the estate. And, if you want one, a memorial page that stays.
- Distribute items mentioned in the Will
- File final individual and estate tax returns
- Close the estate formally
You don’t need to know everything today. You only need to know what comes next, and that it’s written down somewhere.
Bring your people in.
Your sister is good on the phone. Your cousin lives near the house. Give them the parts that suit them.
Everyone you invite sees the same list, so nobody has to ask what’s been done.
- Invite family or close friends to the same checklist
- Hand a task to someone by name
- Leave notes on a task, for everyone to see
- Add tasks only your family would know about
Shared with your family
- Notify close family and friendsMaria
- Notify the person’s employerDavid
“Called HR Tuesday, they’re sending the forms.”
- Secure the house and carInes
- Rehome Dad’s tomato seedlingsAdded by youInes
The rest is there when you need it.
The checklist does most of the work. These are for the moments it can’t carry on its own.
Wording that fits your faith
Tell us your tradition and some tasks change to match it, such as contacting a rabbi, imam or priest, or choosing readings for the service.
The right office for your state
Ordering death certificates, getting a burial permit or notifying Social Security links to the office for your state, in all 50 states and DC.
Help with the words, written with you by AI
Draft the message that tells friends and family, write an obituary, and make a memorial page where people can share photos and stories.
Plain-language guides
161 guides, from probate in your state to how many death certificates to order. All of them readable without an account.
Find trusted local help
Funeral homes, estate attorneys, estate sale companies and grief support near you, from inside your checklist.
Families don’t have to do this alone anymore.
Free to start.
Everything you need for the weeks ahead, free: the checklist, the state guides, and help writing every message and the obituary.
Private to your family.
Only you and the people you invite can see it. We never sell your information.
Built with people who do this every day.
Shaped with funeral directors, estate attorneys and grief counselors.
When you’re ready, make it easier for the people who’ll do this for you.
Most families who go through a loss never want their own family to face it unprepared. Family Circle lets you write down your people, your wishes and where things are kept, so nobody starts from a blank page.
Questions families ask us
Is Omuna really free?
Yes. The checklist, the guides, and the tools for writing a notification or an obituary are free for every family. If you want to go further, you can upgrade to a premium memorial page or have Omuna prepare the letters to banks and agencies for you.
What should I do first when someone dies?
In the first day or two, focus on what can’t wait: make sure the death has been legally pronounced, contact a funeral home, tell close family, and look after any dependents or pets. The first phase of the checklist walks through these in order.
Can other people in my family use it too?
Yes. You can invite family members or close friends to your checklist. Everyone sees the same list, you can assign tasks to each other by name, and notes on a task are shared.
Is the checklist different in my state?
The list of tasks is the same everywhere. What changes is where some of them send you: tasks like ordering death certificates or getting a burial permit link to the right office for your state. Our state guides cover probate, executor duties and death certificates for all 50 states and DC.
Do I need a lawyer?
Some families do and some don’t, depending on the estate. Omuna isn’t legal advice, and where a task may need an estate attorney, its description says so.
Who can see my information?
Only you and the people you invite. Traffic between you and Omuna is encrypted in transit, and we don’t sell personal information or share it with advertisers.
Is my information secure?
Yes. Your information is encrypted in transit, only you and the people you invite can see your checklist, and we never sell personal information or share it with advertisers.
Others we help
- ExecutorsYou’ve been asked to handle the estate. Here’s the shape of it.
- CaregiversLooking after a parent now, and getting ready for later.
- Funeral homesAftercare that keeps going once the service is over.
- Hospice teamsSomething to give families before the loss, and after it.
- End-of-life doulasYou hold the emotional work. Let the paperwork live somewhere else.
- Grief counselorsKeep sessions on grief. Let the to-do list live somewhere else.
- Estate attorneysAn organized list for the non-legal work around the estate.
- Employers & HRSomething kind and useful to share with a grieving colleague.
One thing at a time.
Start with the next step. Omuna will hold the rest until you’re ready for it.
Free to start.