Nobody tells you the order of things. When someone passes away, the list of tasks that needs to happen feels endless — and unclear. Notify the government? Which one? Cancel the pension? Call the bank? File taxes? In what order?
Here's the reality: there's a logical sequence to all of it. Some things need to happen in hours. Others can wait weeks. And most families managing this for the first time are surprised to learn how much help is available — from funeral providers to government programs — once they know where to look.
This is the complete timeline of what happens after someone dies in Quebec, from the first call within hours of the death all the way through to estate settlement months later. Use it as a roadmap. You don't need to have all the answers right now. You just need to know what comes first.
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The first 24 hours: the calls that have to happen
If the death happens at home
Call 911. In Quebec, when someone passes away at home, emergency services or police must attend to confirm the death and authorize removal of the body. If the person was under a doctor's care for a terminal illness, your physician may be able to sign the death certificate directly — call their office to confirm.
You do not need to move or disturb the person. Emergency services will guide you.
If the death happens in a hospital, hospice, or care facility
The facility handles the initial documentation. Nursing staff notify the attending physician. Your role is to decide on a funeral provider — and you have the right to choose any licensed provider you want, including providers not affiliated with the facility.
Contact a funeral provider
This is the call most families make within the first few hours. A funeral provider handles the transfer of the body, the permits required for cremation or burial, and the logistical coordination that follows. You don't need to have any of the big decisions made before you call — a good provider will guide you through what's needed.
At Cleo, families can arrange everything by phone or online, any time of day. If you're not ready to make decisions, a first call just opens the conversation. Our number is (438) 817-1770.
Notify close family
This isn't a task with a deadline — it's a human priority. Reach the people who need to know before they hear it another way.
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Day 1 to 3: the paperwork that unlocks everything
The death certificate
You cannot do almost anything — cancel accounts, access bank funds, file insurance claims, apply for QPP benefits — without a certified copy of the death certificate. Getting them early is essential.
In Quebec, death certificates are issued by the Directeur de l'état civil (DEC). Your funeral provider files the initial registration, and you request certified copies from the DEC directly. The process takes 2 to 4 weeks for standard service.
Order more than you think you'll need. Each institution — the bank, the CRA, Retraite Québec, insurance companies — typically requires its own original certified copy. Our guide to cremation paperwork in Quebec covers exactly how many to order and how to request them.
Choose cremation or burial
This decision usually needs to be confirmed within the first 48 to 72 hours. If your loved one left instructions — in a will, pre-arrangement agreement, or written directive — follow them. If not, the next-of-kin makes the decision.
Direct cremation is the simplest option: the body is cremated without a prior funeral service, and the ashes are returned to the family. It's chosen by a large and growing number of Quebec families, particularly those who prefer to hold a separate memorial at a time of their choosing.
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Week one: notifying key institutions after a death in Quebec
Once the immediate arrangements are in motion, begin notifying government programs and financial institutions. Work through the list over a few days, not all at once. You don't need the death certificates in hand yet for all of these — some will accept a call with a promise to follow up with documentation.
Service Canada
- Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS): Stop these immediately. Any payments received after the month of death must be repaid. Call 1-800-277-9914.
- Canada Pension Plan (CPP): If your loved one received CPP retirement benefits, report the death to stop payments.
- Employment Insurance: If your loved one was receiving EI benefits, notify Service Canada.
Retraite Québec
- QPP retirement pension: Report the death to stop monthly payments.
- QPP death benefit: A $2,500 lump-sum payment available to the estate. Apply as soon as you have the death certificate. This benefit is one of the fastest sources of financial relief for estates covering cremation costs.
Canada Revenue Agency
Notify the CRA of the death using Form RC4111 (What to do following a death). This opens the process for the final tax return and lets the CRA close their account.
Banks and financial institutions
Contact your loved one's bank to place a hold on accounts and begin the transfer process. Bring the death certificate and any will or succession documentation when you visit in person. If the account had a joint holder or named beneficiary, the transfer is usually straightforward.
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Weeks two to four: estate administration begins in Quebec
The urgency of the first week gives way to something slower and more administrative. This part of the process isn't a crisis — it's paperwork, and it can be done in stages.
Locate the will
If your loved one had a notarial will (the most common form in Quebec), it's registered in the Registre des dispositions testamentaires at the Chambre des notaires. Contact the Chambre to confirm its existence and location.
If there's a private will (handwritten or signed in front of witnesses), it needs to be probated through the Superior Court of Quebec before it becomes legally valid.
If there is no will, Quebec's Civil Code determines how the estate is distributed based on family relationships.
The liquidator's role
In Quebec, the person responsible for administering the estate is called the liquidator (not an executor — that's a common-law term that doesn't apply in Quebec). The liquidator is named in the will or, if there's no will, chosen by the heirs.
The liquidator's responsibilities include:
- Identifying and inventorying all assets and debts
- Publishing a notice in the RDPRM (registre) to notify creditors
- Filing a succession inventory within 6 months
- Paying debts and distributing the remaining estate to heirs
If the estate is complex — multiple properties, business interests, disputes among heirs — working with a notary is strongly recommended.
Apply for government death benefits
Within the first few weeks of having the death certificate in hand:
- QPP death benefit: Apply at Retraite Québec. You can apply for the death benefit, survivor's pension, and orphan's benefit in a single package.
- CPP death benefit: If the person who passed away worked in federally regulated industries or other provinces, there may also be a $2,500 CPP lump sum. Apply at Service Canada.
- EI bereavement leave: If you, as the surviving family member, need time off work, you may be eligible for up to 5 weeks of Employment Insurance bereavement benefits.
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Month one to three: closing accounts and transferring assets
By now the most time-sensitive calls have been made. What remains is working through the financial and legal pieces — steadily, without a hard deadline on most of them.
Registered accounts (RRSP, RRIF, TFSA)
If these accounts had a named beneficiary, the funds pass directly to that person outside the estate — no probate required. Contact the financial institution with the death certificate to start the transfer.
If there was no named beneficiary, the funds form part of the estate and are distributed according to the will or succession rules.
Life insurance
Contact the insurance company with the death certificate and your identification as beneficiary. Life insurance proceeds paid directly to named beneficiaries are generally not subject to income tax and are typically paid within a few weeks of the claim.
Employer benefits
If your loved one was employed within the last year or two, contact their employer's HR department. Ask specifically about:
- Group life insurance
- Pension plan death benefits
- Any outstanding pay or vacation payout
Property and vehicles
Property in Quebec goes through the notarial process as part of estate settlement. Land titles and vehicle registrations are transferred once succession is confirmed. Budget for notary fees if there's real property involved.
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Month three to twelve: final tax returns and estate closure
The final income tax return
The liquidator must file:
- A final T1 return for the person who passed away, covering January 1 to the date of death (federal, through the CRA)
- A final Quebec provincial return with Revenu Québec
These are due by April 30 of the year following the death, or 6 months after the date of death — whichever is later.
The estate itself may also need to file a T3 trust return if it earns income (interest, rental income) between the date of death and final distribution to heirs.
The QPP and CPP death benefits are taxable and reported on the estate's return, not the beneficiary's personal return. Work with an accountant or notary to ensure they're reported correctly.
Closing the estate
Once debts are paid and assets distributed, the liquidator publishes a final account of the liquidation. Heirs can then formally accept or renounce their share of the estate.
This process typically takes between 6 and 18 months for a typical estate, and can take longer if there are disputes, multiple properties, or complex succession arrangements.
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A few things that catch families off guard
You don't need to rush the memorial. There's no rule that the memorial happens the week of the death. Many families choose to hold a celebration of life weeks or even months later — after the immediate administrative chaos has cleared and people can travel.
The liquidator can be reimbursed. If you're the liquidator, you're entitled to reasonable compensation from the estate for your time and expenses. Track everything.
Unclaimed benefits are common. QPP death benefits go unclaimed every year because families don't know they exist. Same with employer life insurance. A systematic review of your loved one's income and benefits — checking every institution they had a relationship with — usually turns up something.
You can ask for help. Notaries in Quebec have specific training in succession law and estate administration. If the estate is anything other than very simple, an initial consultation with a notary is worth the cost.
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Where Cleo fits in the timeline
Cleo handles the first part of this timeline — from the moment the death occurs through to the return of the ashes. We coordinate transfer, cremation permits, and documentation. We can start within hours of a call.
Our guide to what to do in the first 24 hours after someone dies in Quebec covers the immediate steps in more detail.
If you're making arrangements right now and aren't sure where to start, call us at (438) 817-1770. We're available any time.