THE DEATH DISPATCH
OCTOBER 18, 2026 · MADE FOR THE LIVING
Who speaks for you if you can’t?
FROM STEPHANIE
/
Three things changed on MORTL this week.
The Weeks You Have Left now sits right under the homepage hero. Enter your age, and it counts the weeks you’ve lived, puts them on a grid you can save or post, and asks you to pick one thing for this week. It’s at mortl.com/weeks.
There’s a free healthcare power of attorney builder now, for all 50 states and D.C. It’s this week’s practical thing.
And the Funeral Cost Planner now prices your own state’s death certificates, shows the national medians in today’s dollars, and subtracts the Social Security death payment and VA burial allowance if you qualify.
01
One deep read
Grief After Miscarriage and Stillbirth
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and this past Thursday, October 15, was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.
This story is for anyone who has lost a pregnancy or a baby, and for the people around them. It covers why the grief is real at any stage of pregnancy, why people reach for lines like “at least it was early,” how to cope, and where to find support.
If you’re the friend, say: “I’m so sorry. I’m here. This is a real loss and your baby mattered.” Use the baby’s name if the parents gave one. Skip the “at leasts,” and don’t rush them toward trying again.
Postpartum Support International’s helpline is 1-800-944-4773.
02
One law update
California changes who counts as family for bereavement leave on January 1
California’s SB 1149 was signed September 27 and takes effect January 1, 2027. It changes who counts as family under the state’s bereavement leave law.
Today the list is a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, domestic partner, or parent-in-law. From January 1, it’s a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or domestic partner, plus one designated person: anyone related to you by blood, or whose association with you is the equivalent of a family relationship. You can name that person when you ask for the leave, and your employer can limit you to one designated person in a 12-month period.
One gap to know about: the new list doesn’t name parent-in-law. Another section of California law defines parent to include a parent-in-law, and the bill doesn’t say whether that still covers them.
What stays the same: up to 5 days per death, used within 3 months, at private employers with 5 or more employees and in state and local government, once you’ve worked there at least 30 days. The leave can be unpaid, but you can use vacation, personal leave, sick leave, or comp time.
California also gives up to 5 days of reproductive loss leave after a miscarriage or stillbirth.
03
One practical thing
Name your healthcare agent
Monday starts National Estate Planning Awareness Week, October 19 to 25.
A healthcare power of attorney names your agent: the person who makes medical decisions for you when you can’t make them yourself. MORTL’s new builder covers each part:
Name your agent and up to two alternates.
Choose when their authority starts and which decisions they can make.
Add any limits in your own words.
Finish with a signing block set to your state’s witness, notary, and minimum-age rules, with the official source to check before anyone signs.
Free to build and download as a PDF or Word file.
Then do the part a form can’t do. Ask the person if they’ll do it, tell them what you’d want, and give them a copy.
04
One question answered
“What happens to a jointly owned house when one owner dies?”
It depends on a few words in the deed.
If the deed says joint tenants with right of survivorship, the surviving owner takes the dead owner’s share automatically. It doesn’t go through probate, and a will can’t override it. The survivor records a certified death certificate with the county, usually with a short survivorship affidavit. Married couples in many states can hold a home as tenants by the entirety, which works the same way.
If the deed says tenants in common, the dead owner’s share goes through probate to whoever their will names, or to their heirs under state law if there’s no will. Most states treat a deed that doesn’t mention survivorship the same way.
Either way, the mortgage stays on the house, and a relative who inherits can keep the existing loan under federal law instead of refinancing. Start by getting a copy of the deed from the county recorder and reading the ownership line. This is general information, not legal advice.
Answered in September.
Read the full answer
How each kind of ownership works
Ask MORTL a question
Pick one of these and do it this week.
Want your documents, contacts, and wishes in one place? The Folder is $59 once, with family sharing for up to five trusted people.
Forward this to the person you’d name as your agent.
Stephanie Werner
Founder & CEO, MORTL
You’re going to die. Let’s talk about it.
Sources and MORTL links checked on October 15 and 16, 2026. U.S. guidance. General information, not legal advice.