Resources

Below is a list of do-it-yourself resources. This page is a work in progress with more information being added regularly. Please let us know if you think of a local (Los Alamos County) resource that should be added.

A great reference guide, available from the Los Alamos County Library System, is The Executor’s Guide: Settling a Loved One’s Estate or Trust, published by NOLO.

While advance estate planning isn’t our wheelhouse, we get questions about this frequently, so have created a separate pre-planning page with some helpful resources.

  • Checklists to help you keep track of everything that needs to be done:
    • AARP What to do when a loved one dies
    • Cake post-loss checklist (may require creating a login, but is a very comprehensive list)
    • Experian What to do when a loved one dies
  • Legal Resources for the Elderly in New Mexico. This is a free helpline for all New Mexicans 55+. They also have live and recorded webinars and blank copies of forms you might need. Their phone is staffed M-F, 8-5 at 505-797-6005 or 1-800-876-6657.
  • How to obtain a death certificate in New Mexico. These are $5 per copy if ordered in person or by mail and $26 per copy if ordered online.
  • Local options for burial and funeral or memorial services, including room rental and catering information (loads in a separate page)
  • Probate Process. Our probate judge, Perry Klare, cannot provide legal advice, but he is happy to meet with families to help determine if the estate will need to go through probate or not, and to provide some guidance on the process. The county’s website has probate forms, frequently asked questions, and more information. The New Mexico Courts website also offers pdf forms for the probate process. If the estate does need to go through probate, we highly recommend contacting a local estate attorney:
  • Local Banks:
    • Century Bank
    • Del Norte Credit Union
    • Enterprise
    • Los Alamos Public Schools Credit Union
    • Zia Credit Union
  • Common Retirement/Pension Accounts:
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory: Call 505-664-6947, option 2, 1, 2 to report the passing of a LANL employee, retiree, or descendent. If the decedent is under the University of California benefits, you can call 888-825-6833. You can also email a scan of an obituary or death certificate to benefits@lanl.gov. If the decedent was a LANL retiree, the benefits office will contact the appropriate retirement agency, and that agency will be in touch with the survivors.
    • Public Employees Retirement Association (for state and county jobs), (505) 476-9300, PERA-death&disability@state.nm.us
    • Education Retirement Board (for public school jobs), 1-866-691-2345. See also their webpage on reporting a death.
  • Veteran’s Benefits. These may include funds to help with burial expenses.
  • Los Alamos County:
    • To remove someone from voter rolls, bring a death certificate to the County Clerk’s office at 1000 Central Ave., Suite 240. If there is an obituary in the local paper they will automatically remove the voter. You can also go in person and sign an affidavit attesting that the person is deceased. The clerk’s email is elections@lacnm.us.
    • To turn off utilities to a property, visit the Customer Care Center at the municipal building and request a shut-off form. Once that is filled out, utilities can be turned off.
    • To transfer home title to an inheritor, start at the County Assessor’s Office with a death certificate.
  • Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to transfer title of a vehicle, and to cancel a driver’s license. You can call the local office at 505-662-4243. You will need to make an appointment and bring the death certificate with you to get the driver’s license canceled.
  • If you inherited a home or other valuable property, be sure to have it appraised so that you have a new basis as of the date you inherited it. This will help reduce your capital gains down the road if you decide to sell. This is necessary even in the case of a spouse inheriting what was previously a shared home or other property.
  • Our closest Social Security office is in Santa Fe. The national number is 1-800-772-1213, and the Santa Fe office number is 1-866-571-8130. They’re open M-F from 9-4. You may need to visit the office at 1922 5th St. This page has lots of good information for survivors. A surviving spouse may qualify for a lump-sum payment of to help with burial costs.
  • If you are cleaning out a home, these local services can help you:
  • If you believe your loved one may have had medical issues due to working at a national laboratory, Erin Hagle can help you negotiate the complexities of receiving compensation. erinhagle@gmail.com or 720-620-4108.
  • Special consideration for certain kinds of property:
    • Firearms transfers are governed by special rules depending on the type of firearm and state laws. You can learn more on this page from Everplans.
    • Fine Art can be sold or donated. If you are donating, an appraisal makes sense to determine the value of your gift, but the museum or other recipient may provide that at no cost to you. If you are selling, it often makes more sense to get two or three offers instead of an appraisal–offers are free, and they will tell you the true market value of the items. We have a list of local fine-art appraisers and dealers recommended by the Museum of Indian Art and Culture in Santa Fe.
  • If a loved one needs extra care or assistance now that a partner is no longer alive, care management companies can help. They will also act as a primary or backup medical power of attorney, and have many other services
  • If a surviving spouse or child needs health insurance, our state health insurance exchange can provide that on a sliding scale, based on income. We recommend you work with a broker (available to be assigned to you on the BeWell NM website) to find the best option for your needs.