‘I didn’t know’; Hampton widow’s advice on what to do before losing a spouse

Many of us have lost loved ones unexpectedly. When and if this does happen to you, you should make sure that their finances and accounts are in order. 

Theresa Brooks’ husband Henry passed away in 1996, just 8 years after the couple moved to Hampton. Theresa stated, “I never thought that he would die at an early age and it was just hard for me because he was my everything. He was the one that took care of everything in the house. . .” 

According to Theresa, Henry took care of everything, including the finances. So when Henry died, Theres just continued to pay the bills, unaware that she needed to change the accounts into her name. 

According to Naomi Cahn, a Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law, “There’s a lot of nitty gritty that is involved, in terms of transferring title to anything that is jointly held, or anything that the deceased person held at the time.” 

Theresa stated that her husband did not leave a will or assign an executor of estate, which made the transition process much more difficult following his death. Not only did Theresa have to deal with the grief and the loss of her husband, she had to balance funeral arrangements and financials at the same time. 

Theresa’s story is a perfect example of why it is important to have your finances and estate plan in order. 

See Erin Miller, ‘I didn’t know’; Hampton widow’s advice on what to do before losing a spouse, WTKR (Hampton, Va.), March 29, 2022. 

Special thanks to Naomi Cahn (Harold H. Greene Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.