Wegweiser Grief & Bereavement · Rights & Support Deutsch

🕊️ Grief and bereavement: an overview

After a death, many questions arise at once – organisational, financial and deeply personal. This overview shows where you can start.

Grief Death of a loved one Estate Survivors' pension Grief support Disclaiming an inheritance

In brief

When someone close to you dies, practical duties and personal grief hit you at the same time. These pages deliberately separate the two: for the organisational and legal questions – reporting the death, funeral, inheritance, pensions – there are fixed procedures and sometimes short deadlines. For grief itself there is no timetable and no obligation to "function".

The topic pages are organised by area: from the death itself through funeral and costs, estate and inheritance, and pensions for survivors to grief support and special situations such as a sudden loss or the death of a child.

Step by step

  1. Report the deathThe death must be reported to the registry office (Standesamt); usually the funeral director does this on your behalf (see Death: first steps).
  2. Plan the funeralChoose the type of burial and a funeral director; each federal state sets its burial deadline differently (see Organising a funeral and costs).
  3. Clarify the moneyCheck whether a death grant, coverage of the funeral costs or an inheritance may apply.
  4. Check pension entitlementsApply to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (German Pension Insurance) for a widow's, widower's or orphan's pension if there was a marriage, civil partnership or parenthood.
  5. Get supportContact grief support services and advice centres – and give yourself the time for grief that you need.

Deadlines

3 working days
Reporting the death to the registry office (Standesamt)§ 28 PStG
6 weeks
Regular deadline for disclaiming an inheritance§ 1944 Abs. 1 BGB
12 calendar months
Retroactive payment of a survivors' pension from the date of application§ 99 Abs. 2 SGB VI
Watch out – common mistakes
  • Grief does not follow a timetable – there is no statutory deadline for it.
  • Legal deadlines (disclaiming an inheritance, pension application) keep running regardless of your own grief – so it is worth getting a rough overview early, even if it is hard.
  • Not every topic affects every family: disclaiming an inheritance is only relevant if the estate is overindebted, a widow's pension only if there is a marriage or civil partnership.
  • If in doubt, it is better to involve an advice centre early than to decide alone under time pressure.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

How these pages are structured

The 15 topic pages are assigned to seven areas: overview, death and funeral, estate and inheritance, pensions for survivors, grief support and everyday life, special grief situations, and advice and support services. Each page follows the same pattern: first an explanation in plain language, then steps, deadlines and typical mistakes, and finally a collapsible specialist section with legal bases for advisory work.

Legal uncertainties deliberately disclosed

Two areas are not regulated uniformly across Germany and are expressly marked as variable on the respective topic pages: the duty and deadline to arrange a burial (state law of the 16 federal states) and paid leave from work after a death (depends on a collective agreement or employment contract; there is no uniform statutory entitlement).

Who is responsible
  • Varies by topic – see the respective topic page
Further reading
Death: the first stepsEstate and inheritance: the basicsAdvice and support services for grief

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Grief and bereavement: an overview“?
After a death, many questions arise at once – organisational, financial and deeply personal. This overview shows where you can start.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
  • 3 working days: Reporting the death to the registry office (Standesamt) (§ 28 PStG)
  • 6 weeks: Regular deadline for disclaiming an inheritance (§ 1944 Abs. 1 BGB)
  • 12 calendar months: Retroactive payment of a survivors' pension from the date of application (§ 99 Abs. 2 SGB VI)
What should I do first?
  • Report the death: The death must be reported to the registry office (Standesamt); usually the funeral director does this on your behalf (see Death: first steps).
  • Plan the funeral: Choose the type of burial and a funeral director; each federal state sets its burial deadline differently (see Organising a funeral and costs).
  • Clarify the money: Check whether a death grant, coverage of the funeral costs or an inheritance may apply.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • Grief does not follow a timetable – there is no statutory deadline for it.
  • Legal deadlines (disclaiming an inheritance, pension application) keep running regardless of your own grief – so it is worth getting a rough overview early, even if it is hard.
  • Not every topic affects every family: disclaiming an inheritance is only relevant if the estate is overindebted, a widow's pension only if there is a marriage or civil partnership.
Evidence
  • § 28 PStG (gesetze-im-internet.de)
  • § 1944 BGB (gesetze-im-internet.de)
  • § 99 SGB VI (gesetze-im-internet.de)
As of

As of September 2026. · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.