A Widow's Business: A Practical Guide Through the First Year After the Death of a Spouse

A WIDOW'S BUSINESS brings order to the many things a new widow has to handle—from organizing tasks in their order of importance to gathering the information needed to dealing with finances. The book also contains a simple overview of taxes, probate, and legal documents. In addition, a handy section helps a new widow prepare instructions for her future executors, to make their tasks easier. After the death of her husband, Liz Swiertz Newman had been overwhelmed by the amount of business there was to tend to. She looked for a book to help her know what to do and when to do it. She began making to-do lists, and when she contemplated the 15 pages of lists, she realized that she had begun to write the book that she needed—that widows need. A WIDOW’S BUSINESS: A Practical Guide Through the First Year after the Death of a Spouse, resulted from the organization of her lists and the inclusion of the kind of information other widows might need. Items covered in the first chapter address what is required immediately upon the death of one’s spouse, including whom to notify. The second chapter begins with information needed and where to get help. Also discussed are composing an obituary notice and planning a memorial service. The third chapter helps a new widow get organized at home to cope with the incoming paperwork and other items. The fourth chapter addresses money—what to expect, where to apply for assistance, and how to set up accounts. The author explains that help is at hand through a widow’s team of human resources—her CPA, her trust attorney if she has one, her banker or Certified Financial Planner, and others. She gives an overview of taxes, trusts, wills, and probate. This chapter ends with a review of scams, the fraudulent schemes that attempt to cheat people out of their money. The fifth chapter outlines the rest of the tasks required of a widow, from the next most in importance to those that can wait a while. The sixth and final chapter makes recommendations as to what a widow can do to plan ahead, including a section on how to draw up instructions for a future executor and how to organize a list of bequests. The lists are connected with brief narratives about the author’s own experiences. Ideally, all couples should read A WIDOW’S BUSINESS before they ever have a need for it. Besides being indispensable to a new widow or widower, the information is good to know and good for sharing with others.