OK, let’s be honest, a lot of decisions need to be made, and the paperwork being presented to you is overwhelming. I remember first trying to sit and read through paperwork — it felt like a monumental chore, and I couldn't concentrate with my grief brain (yes, it's a real thing). Even being an organized individual became almost null. At the time, I couldn’t see past each hour of the day until I found a way to get through the administrative tasks. I made daily lists of at least one — but not more than three — tasks to complete. Even if one of the tasks was just to print out the paperwork, this felt like a win for the day!
I thought it would be helpful to share this checklist of administrative items I compiled that need to be taken care of even beyond the government’s, mandatory paperwork. I would have definitely appreciated this, so hopefully this can be useful for you. Please be mindful that some of these items, such as the compensation benefits, may take months to process, so I listed them in order of importance in my particular situation. Also, make sure to check out the documents page since you will need a lot of these originals readily available to apply for benefits.
Much love and gratitude,
Erica
