Documents You Can Create Today
ARAG was founded more than 80 years ago with a mission to make legal representation accessible to all. Through ARAG’s easy-to-use interactive software, you and your spouse can prepare the following documents at no charge:
- Will
- Healthcare Power of Attorney
- HIPAA Authorization
- Durable Power of Attorney
- Living Will
- Medical Treatment Authorization for Minors
How to Access Your Free Legal Documents
Step 1
Log into your Servant Solutions account
Visit Principal’s website and sign in to your account.
Step 2
Navigate to your employer-sponsored account
Select “My Account(s)”, then choose “Employer Sponsored Account.”
Step 3
Find your planning resources
From the top navigation bar, select “Planning Resources”, then “Principal Milestones.”
Step 4
Visit ARAG and set up your account
Choose “Visit ARAG to get started” and complete your account setup. When prompted for your employer, enter “Servant Solutions.” Once logged in, select the Online Documents tab to begin creating your documents.
You spend your days caring for others. Let us care for you. Take advantage of our incredible resources for you and your family.
Provide Your Family Peace of Mind
A will is a vital first step, but it may not be the only tool your family needs. Setting up a trust can offer significant advantages, including avoiding probate, protecting loved ones, and even supporting ministry causes. Trusts are accessible to people at all income levels and offer greater privacy and control than a will alone.
Navigating Loss With A Next Steps Checklist
When someone you love dies, the responsibility of handling personal, financial, and legal details may fall to you. These tasks can be stressful and may take months or even longer to complete, all while you’re grieving the loss of your loved one.
Some of the most helpful steps can be taken before a loss occurs. Knowing where important documents are kept, how to access essential accounts, and who to contact can make a difficult time a little easier. This includes planning ahead for access to cell phones, digital accounts, financial information, and other important records.
Whether you’re preparing for the future or navigating a recent loss, you don’t have to face these responsibilities alone. The checklist below offers practical guidance to help you and your family take the next steps with greater clarity and confidence.
We offer this not as a legal directive, but as a compassionate guide. Not every item will apply to every situation. We pray that you find peace and strength as you care for your loved ones and move forward.
Prefer a copy you can keep or share? Download our printable checklist to work through at your own pace or share with a family member or trusted friend.
First Days
- Obtain a legal certification of death. If your loved one passed in a hospital or nursing home, staff will handle this. If they passed at home, call 911 so they can be transported and officially declared deceased. If under hospice care, a hospice nurse can make the declaration.
- Notify immediate family and ask them to contact others.
- Notify the executor and attorney.
- Notify your minister or pastor to prepare a service.
- Contact a funeral home and make arrangements.
- Arrange care for any pets.
- Arrange for someone to stay at the residence, if needed.
- Gather key documents early, including the will, trust paperwork, insurance policies, Social Security card, marriage certificate, military discharge papers, and funeral prearrangements.
First 1–2 Weeks
- Obtain approximately 15 copies of the death certificate — you will need these to close accounts, file insurance claims, and notify government agencies. Your funeral home can assist, or you may order copies from the vital statistics office in the state where the person passed.
- Notify Social Security: (800) 772-1213. Ask about survivor benefits, not just reporting the death.
- Contact us if the deceased was a member of our Retirement Plan. If the member was receiving annuity payments, it is important to notify us promptly — overpayments can occur, and we may need to coordinate reimbursement. Please reach us at [email protected] or (765) 642-3880.
- Contact us if a spouse has passed away. In many cases, a death benefit may be payable. We will also need an updated beneficiary form to keep your record current.
- Contact the deceased's employer to ask about final pay, retirement benefits, survivor benefits, and any life insurance coverage.
- Ask whether an estate bank account is needed for incoming funds and expenses.
- Forward mail to help identify bills and accounts that still need attention.
First Month
- Contact a CPA or tax advisor final tax filings and possible estate tax questions often come up.
- Notify banks, brokerages, and financial institutions and determine how accounts are held.
- Close or update credit card accounts.
- Notify the credit bureaus to help reduce the risk of identity theft.
- Cancel subscriptions and recurring services like streaming, cell phone, cable, newspaper, and memberships.
- Ask whether an estate bank account is needed for incoming funds and expenses.
- Update beneficiary forms on your remaining accounts and policies.
- Review and update your own will, powers of attorney, and medical directives if needed.
We recognize this list is far from comprehensive. We offer this information as a guide, and not all of it will apply in every case. We pray that you find peace in helping your family move through this process. It is truly an honorable opportunity and a testament to a close and trusted relationship.
What Our Members Say
Thank you! I so appreciate your kind and prompt responses! Servant Solutions has been such a blessing for me. This has been a new area for me to deal with since Paul's passing and I am so grateful that this has not been stressful because of your help. May blessings abound for your good work, Servant Solutions!
K. Crosley
Recently widowed
