Image Licensing Protections: An Introduction

Cancel This, Not That, In The Wake Of Your Parent's Death

10 October 2018

Judy Alexander

In the wake of your last surviving parent's passing and the beginning of your work as the executor of his or her estate, you'll suddenly find yourself with a lengthy to-do list with many tasks that are time sensitive. As you juggle these diverse responsibilities, you should give some thought to the things that you should begin canceling. It's important that you carefully evaluate whether it's best to cancel certain services now, or to wait for a bit of time. Here are some tips on doing so.

Cancel: TV Service

If your parent had cable or satellite TV service, you should cancel this service immediately. It's easy to overlook doing so, and then realize that you have to pay another month's bill — despite not even having turned the TV on. Canceling the TV service will save you this fee, and you should also inquire as to whether you need to return the cable box (in the event that it's rented) to the provider to avoid incurring additional fees.

Don't Cancel: Internet

You'll be spending a lot of time at your parent's house as you go through your executor duties, and canceling your parent's home internet might seem practical. You should hold off on doing so, however. Whether you use your parent's computer or bring your own laptop, you'll find that having internet access at the house will be handy. From looking up things online to sending emails to family members and legal professionals, using Wi-Fi instead of your cellular data is best.

Cancel: Assorted Recurring Services

There are many recurring services that your parent may have scheduled, so you'll want to find records of these and cancel those that you don't need. For example, if your parent was getting a few meals delivered weekly, cancel this service to avoid additional fees. It's also possible that your parent was getting home care visits, which you'll obviously need to cancel as soon as possible.

Don't Cancel: Cellphone

Although paying another couples of months' worth of bills on your parent's cellphone might not be appealing, you may not wish to cancel this service just yet. Having access to this device can be handy, whether you're looking up contact information for people or services connected to your parent or you're wanting to be able to perform banking activities on your parent's behalf with the ease of a mobile app. It's always useful to confer with an estate planning attorney for more guidance on how to proceed when you're the executor of an estate.

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