What happens when a head of household dies?
When a main figure dies, there’s a period of what I call “disbanding.” People are in limbo, but then comes the reorganization. How [the reorganization] happens depends a lot on the importance and influence of the person in the family. If the person was the official head of household in name alone but somebody else ran the show—in other words, he was just a figurehead—then everyday things may remain pretty much the same. But if that person played an important role, there’s an initial period of confusion and readjustment. How long it takes varies and depends also on the nature of the family dynamics. If everybody was dependent on this person, it’s very difficult. There has to be somebody who will step up, who is more of a go-getter. Usually that happens automatically because some roles are assigned by the family from the get-go, and that person has already stepped up in other situations. If the surviving spouse shared in the responsibilities equally, it’s an easier transition. There is s
