Avigail Goldglancz Quoted in U.S. News on Navigating the Loss of a Spouse

Not only is the death of a spouse devastating, but it also leaves a long list of tasks to complete.

Farrell Fritz partner Avigail Goldglancz was recently featured in a U.S. News & World Report article, “Checklist for Handling the Death of a Spouse,” offering practical guidance on the legal and financial steps that follow one of life’s most difficult moments.

The article provides a thoughtful roadmap for surviving spouses, outlining key considerations such as gathering essential documents, navigating probate, updating estate plans, and managing financial accounts.

From the article:

“Unfortunately, a lot of surviving spouses are women, and they don’t know what the assets are,” says Avigail Goldglancz, partner with law firm Farrell Fritz in New York City. If you aren’t sure what assets or accounts your spouse owned, checking past tax returns might help.

Goldglancz suggests reviewing the description of death on the certificate to ensure it is accurate. That could be important for claiming life insurance.

It can also be a good idea to freeze your spouse’s credit. “There have been cases when people would read obituaries and then open credit card accounts (in the name of the deceased),” according to Goldglancz.

“If all the assets are held jointly, then there may not be a need to go to probate,” Goldglancz says. In that case, your spouse’s name is removed, and you become the sole owner, assuming no one else shares ownership of the account.

Read the full article here: Checklist for Handling the Death of a Spouse | Retirement | U.S. News