Write a first draft

About them

Only what you want in the text. You can leave anything empty.

What would you like to write?

If you’re using an AI assistant

Many people now ask Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot for help after a death, often late at night. That can help, especially with drafts, lists and explanations. A few things make it safer and more useful.

What it’s good at

  • Turning your notes into a first draft
  • Explaining words on a price list or form
  • Making a list of what comes next
  • Practicing a hard conversation
  • Company when you can’t sleep

What to check yourself

  • Prices, deadlines and local rules. It doesn’t know your funeral home’s current prices, and it can be confidently wrong.
  • Phone numbers and names of organizations
  • Anything you would sign or send to an official

Keep private: Social Security numbers, account numbers, death certificate numbers and passwords. First names are enough for most drafts.

An assistant is not a counselor. If the grief feels too heavy, or you have thoughts of not wanting to live, call or text 988 at any time.

Questions that work well

Copy one, fill in the brackets, and paste it into the assistant you use.

The first two days

Someone I love died [yesterday] in [city, state]. I’m their [relationship]. Give me a short list of what needs to happen in the next 48 hours and what can safely wait. Keep it to the essentials, and tell me which steps depend on my state’s rules so I can check them.

Understanding a price list or quote

Here is a funeral home’s price list or itemized statement: [paste it]. Explain each line in plain words. Tell me which items are optional under the FTC Funeral Rule, which are cash advance items, and what questions I should ask before I sign. Don’t guess at prices you can’t see.

Talking with a child

My [age]-year-old’s [grandmother] has died. Help me explain it in simple, honest words, without saying “lost” or “went to sleep”. Give me a few sentences I can say, and the questions a child that age might ask.

When the family disagrees

My family disagrees about [burial or cremation, or the service]. These are the views: [list them]. Help us find what we agree on and a fair way to decide. Don’t take sides.

The paperwork afterwards

I’m handling things after [name]’s death in [state]. Make me a checklist of who to notify, such as Social Security, banks, insurers, the employer, the credit bureaus, the DMV and subscriptions, and the documents each usually asks for. Mark what I should confirm locally.

When you can’t sleep

I can’t sleep and I keep thinking about [name]. I don’t need advice right now. Could you ask me about them, and just listen?

For prices in Tennessee, our quote checker uses real price lists from funeral homes, which an assistant can’t see.