When you're ready, this won't take long.

There's no deadline. Most people wait a few months before addressing their own documents — that's fine. The exception: if you have health concerns or upcoming travel, updating your powers of attorney and healthcare directive sooner ensures someone has authority to act on your behalf.

A will goes through probate — a court-supervised process that can take six months to a year, requires legal filings, and becomes public record. A trust passes assets directly to beneficiaries with no court involvement. If you shared a trust with your spouse, most of the work is already done.

Not immediately, but don't leave it indefinitely. Jointly-held accounts often pass automatically to the surviving owner, but you'll still need to update the title. Assets in your spouse's name alone may require probate or a trust administration process before they're fully yours. Start with accounts you actively use.

As a surviving spouse, you have options most other beneficiaries don't. You can roll an inherited IRA or 401(k) into your own retirement account and treat it as yours — no required distributions until your own RMD age. Alternatively, you can keep it as an inherited account. A financial advisor can help you decide which makes sense for your tax situation.

Start with a list: bank accounts, credit cards, investment accounts, retirement accounts, insurance policies, recurring bills. Check your spouse's email and mail for statements. Your spouse's financial advisor, accountant, or attorney may have records. You don't have to figure it all out at once — just get visibility into what exists.