The death of a spouse triggers legal and financial deadlines most surviving spouses don't know exist.
Portability election for the federal estate tax exemption must be filed within 9 months. Retitling of jointly-held assets, beneficiary updates, and trust funding have their own clocks. The cost of missing these windows is permanent.
What changes at the $2M–$30M level
Your action plan
Ordered by urgency. Items marked "Immediate" should be addressed within 2–4 weeks.
The IRS allows a 9-month window (extendable to 15 months) to elect portability of the deceased spouse's unused federal exemption. Missing this is irreversible.
Find an estate attorney →JTWROS property passes automatically but must be retitled. Community property has different basis rules. Each asset type has different treatment.
Do this in My Wealth Maps →Your spouse was likely the primary beneficiary on most accounts. Every designation must be reviewed and updated immediately.
Do this in My Wealth Maps →Survivor benefits can be claimed as early as 60. Coordinating with your own benefit can significantly affect lifetime income.
Do this in My Wealth Maps →Guardian designations, trust structures, and distribution plans written for a married couple need immediate review.
Find an estate attorney →How prepared are you for spouse death?
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An estate attorney can execute the legal documents and trust strategies this event requires.
Browse attorneys →A fiduciary advisor can model the financial impact and coordinate strategy across your full picture.
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