Quick Answer: After an unattended death is discovered, your first step is to call 911 if you haven’t already — even if the person has clearly passed. Law enforcement must be involved before anything else. Do not enter the scene, do not clean anything, and do not touch anything. Once authorities have cleared the scene, you’ll need to coordinate professional biohazard cleanup, contact an estate attorney, and notify the right people in the right order. This guide walks you through every step.

The phone call nobody expects. The door nobody wants to open. If you’re reading this, you’re probably in shock — and you probably have about a hundred questions and no idea where to start.

I’ve spent years working in biohazard remediation, and I’ve walked through the door after these situations more times than I can count. The families I’ve worked with didn’t have a guide. They were making critical decisions in the worst moments of their lives, often getting taken advantage of by companies that saw vulnerability as opportunity.

This guide is what I wish every family had in their hands when that phone rang.

Step 1: Call 911 (Even If It’s Obvious)

If you’ve discovered an unattended death — meaning someone who died alone and wasn’t found right away — law enforcement must be notified before anything else happens. This is not optional, and it’s not about paperwork. It’s about protecting you legally and ensuring the cause of death is properly documented.

Do not:

  • Enter the room or area where the death occurred
  • Touch the body or disturb anything around it
  • Clean anything up, even if your instinct is to help
  • Call a cleanup company before police have cleared the scene

Do:

  • Call 911 and tell them what you found
  • Stay on the line and answer their questions
  • Keep others (especially children) away from the area
  • Note the time you discovered it and who was present

Police will likely secure the area as a potential crime scene while they investigate — this is standard procedure even when death appears to be from natural causes. An investigator or medical examiner will determine the cause of death. This process can take hours.

Step 2: Let Authorities Do Their Work

Once law enforcement arrives, your job is to cooperate and stay out of their way. They will:

  • Examine the scene
  • Interview anyone present or who had recent contact with the deceased
  • Contact the medical examiner or coroner
  • Document everything for the official record

The medical examiner will determine whether an autopsy is needed. In cases of unattended deaths — where someone died alone and wasn’t found for some time — an autopsy is often required regardless of apparent cause of death.

Important: Do not allow any cleanup to begin until you have written authorization from law enforcement that the scene has been released. Any reputable biohazard company will ask for this. If a company shows up and wants to start before police have cleared the scene, that’s a major red flag.

Step 3: Secure the Property and Notify the Right People

Once authorities have done their initial work, you need to make sure the property is secured. If the deceased lived alone:

  • Change the locks or secure entry points if keys were distributed
  • Do not post on social media — this can attract theft or create legal complications
  • Contact the deceased’s immediate family before making any public announcements
  • Do not allow anyone to remove belongings until the estate process is underway

Who to notify, and in what order:

  1. Immediate family members not yet aware
  2. The deceased’s employer (if applicable)
  3. The deceased’s attorney or estate representative (if known)
  4. The deceased’s financial institutions (this comes later, through the estate process)
  5. Relevant government agencies — Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs if applicable

Step 4: Understand the Biohazard Situation

Here’s the part most families aren’t prepared for: in cases where someone wasn’t found quickly, the scene will require professional biohazard remediation. This is not a situation for regular cleaners, family members with bleach, or well-meaning neighbors.

Unattended deaths — depending on the time elapsed — involve biological materials that require:

  • Specialized personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Proper disposal protocols under federal and state regulations (OSHA, EPA)
  • Industrial-grade disinfectants and decontamination procedures
  • Licensed waste disposal

Attempting to clean this yourself is not just emotionally devastating — it’s genuinely dangerous and potentially illegal (biohazardous waste has specific disposal requirements).

What “professional biohazard cleanup” means: A certified remediation company will assess the scene, document the affected areas, remove all biological material, disinfect to standards that eliminate pathogen risk, and restore the space to a livable condition. They work discreetly, quickly, and without you having to be present if you don’t want to be.

Step 5: Find a Legitimate Cleanup Company — Before You’re Desperate

This is where families get hurt financially. In the hours after a traumatic discovery, people are in shock and making fast decisions. Predatory companies know this. They charge 3-10x the fair rate, use deceptive pricing, and sometimes do incomplete work that leaves hazards behind.

What legitimate companies have:

  • IICRC certification (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification)
  • OSHA compliance documentation
  • Proper liability insurance and bio waste disposal licenses
  • Clear, written estimates before starting work
  • References and verifiable reviews

Red flags:

  • Pressure to sign immediately
  • No written estimate
  • Cash-only payment
  • Unmarked vehicles and no company ID
  • No proof of licensing or certification

Does insurance cover it? In most cases, yes — homeowners insurance typically covers biohazard remediation as part of property damage. We cover this in detail in our guide on insurance coverage for cleanup. Call your insurance company before you pay out of pocket.

Find a vetted, certified biohazard cleanup company in your area →

Step 6: Begin the Estate Process

Once the immediate crisis is handled, the estate process begins. This is where a lot of families lose money and time by not getting proper legal guidance early.

If the deceased had a will: The will goes through probate — a legal process where the court validates the will and oversees distribution of assets. Even with a will, probate is usually required. An estate attorney can guide you through this efficiently and ensure the will is executed correctly.

If the deceased had no will (intestate): State law determines who inherits what. This is called intestate succession, and it varies significantly by state. Without a will, the process is more complicated, more expensive, and more likely to cause family conflict. An estate attorney is not optional in this situation.

What an estate attorney handles:

  • Probate filing and court representation
  • Asset identification and valuation
  • Debt resolution (creditors have legal claims against estates)
  • Property transfer
  • Tax filings specific to the estate

Cost: Estate attorneys typically charge an hourly rate ($150-400/hour) or a flat fee, or a small percentage of the estate value. Many offer free initial consultations.

Connect with an estate attorney in your state →

Step 7: Take Care of Yourself

Everything above is practical. This step is human.

What you’re experiencing — the shock, the numbness, the inability to focus — is a completely normal response to traumatic discovery. The clinical term is acute stress response. It doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means you’re human.

Things that actually help:

  • Don’t make major financial decisions in the first 72 hours if you can avoid it
  • Ask for specific help from friends and family (“Can you pick up the kids?” is easier to say yes to than “let me know if you need anything”)
  • Know that grief after traumatic death is different from expected loss — it often involves complicated feelings including guilt, anger, and intrusive thoughts that are normal but may need professional support
  • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 (free, 24/7)

If you’re struggling, grief therapy from a trauma-informed therapist can be genuinely life-changing. Online platforms now make this accessible from anywhere.

Connect with a grief therapist who specializes in traumatic loss →

The Full Checklist

Immediate (first few hours):

  • [ ] Call 911
  • [ ] Do not disturb the scene
  • [ ] Keep others away
  • [ ] Cooperate with law enforcement
  • [ ] Secure the property

Within 24 hours:

  • [ ] Get written scene release from law enforcement
  • [ ] Contact a certified biohazard cleanup company
  • [ ] Call homeowners insurance to report the claim
  • [ ] Notify immediate family

Within the first week:

  • [ ] Arrange cleanup (coordinate with insurance)
  • [ ] Contact an estate attorney
  • [ ] Begin notifying relevant agencies and institutions
  • [ ] Seek emotional support for yourself and family

Within the first month:

  • [ ] Estate process underway
  • [ ] Property secured and managed
  • [ ] Ongoing grief support in place

A Note From Someone Who’s Been There

I’ve been in hundreds of homes after unattended deaths. I’ve seen families who were taken advantage of and families who made it through with their dignity and finances intact. The difference was almost always information — knowing what to expect, who to call, and what their rights were.

You deserve to have that information. That’s why this resource exists.

If you have questions this guide didn’t answer, use the resources below. And if you need to find a verified, compassionate professional in your area — whether for cleanup, legal guidance, or emotional support — we’ve done the vetting work for you.

Find vetted professionals in your area →

This guide is for informational purposes. It does not constitute legal or medical advice. For legal questions specific to your situation, consult a licensed estate attorney in your state.