THE DEATH DISPATCH
Issue No. 10 · {{current_date_full}}
A newsletter about death that you’ll actually look forward to reading. Weekly. Honest. Never a euphemism.
FROM STEPHANIE
New on MORTL this week: a side-by-side state comparison tool. Pick any two states and see their probate thresholds, death certificate fees, and cremation rules next to each other, instead of opening two guides at once. We also rebuilt the national breakdown of death certificate costs across all 51 jurisdictions, and refreshed the Oklahoma guide with a new walkthrough for the first days after a death there. The state guide hub got the same update.
THE NUMBER
$35
That's what Utah charges for a certified death certificate as of July 1, 2026. Florida and New Mexico charge $5 for the same document. View the full breakdown on MORTL's death certificate cost page.
THIS WEEK'S READ
What Happens to Your Online Accounts When You Die
Your email, photos, crypto, and subscriptions don't close when you die. They sit there, some of them still charging your card, until someone who knew your passwords cleans them up.
THE PRACTICAL PART
Print the one page that covers everything
MORTL's printable checklist walks through the will, the accounts, the passwords, and the funeral, all on one page. Print it and file it with the papers your family already knows about. Ten minutes, and it's done before you need it.
FROM THE DIRECTORY
A reader in Oklahoma asked what a death certificate costs there. It's $15 for a certified copy by mail, $20 if you order online or by phone through VitalChek. Oklahoma requires it to be filed within 3 days of death. The Oklahoma guide has the rest: probate, cremation waits, and advance directive rules.
SEND THIS TO SOMEBODY
Screenshot any box above and text it to the person whose paperwork you worry about. Or send them the whole thing:
You're going to die. Let's talk about it.
MORTL