MNG-069 · DEATH, FAMILY & SURVIVORS
Estate, Beneficiary & Document Audit
Audit wills, trusts, beneficiary elections, AOP, SGLI/VGLI, SBP, TSP, titles, VA accrued benefits, records, and estate documents after a service member or Veteran dies.
Build a beneficiary matrix
- Will and any trust
- Probate/estate personal representative documents
- SGLI/VGLI beneficiary
- SBP election/beneficiary category
- DFAS Arrears of Pay beneficiary
- TSP beneficiary designation
- Private life insurance and retirement accounts
- Payable-on-death / transfer-on-death financial accounts
- Real estate and vehicle title
Do not merge probate and benefit claims
A VA accrued-benefit claim, AOP claim, life-insurance claim or SBP annuity may use beneficiary or statutory priority rules distinct from the probate estate. Identify which rule governs each asset before directing the family or executor to submit estate documents.
Preserve authority documents
Keep certified death certificates, letters testamentary/administration, trust certification, marriage/birth records, beneficiary confirmations, title documents and claim receipts together. Seek qualified estate/probate counsel when state-law ownership, creditor, tax, trust or probate issues require legal advice.
Official sources
- VA — End-of-Life Benefits
- DFAS — AOP Beneficiary
- VA — Life Insurance Death-Claim Forms
- VA — Accrued Benefits
- Military OneSource — Legal Assistance
Source status: SRC-164; SRC-143; SRC-144; SRC-099; SRC-163; SRC-045 verified October 4, 2026. Report status changes to each program that requires them; updating one federal system does not guarantee every other program is updated.
