Hi everyone, I need advice. My husband was a veteran who passed away in May 2021. DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service) is taking forever to process paperwork, and now they’re saying the death certificate is incorrect. It currently says he died from homicide, but the detective who worked on the case confirmed it was a sudden heart attack. I live in Peru, and dealing with all this paperwork remotely has been really tough. Anyone been through something like this or have tips?
That sounds super stressful. Have you tried reaching out to the state’s vital records office? They usually handle amendments.
Quill said:
That sounds super stressful. Have you tried reaching out to the state’s vital records office? They usually handle amendments.
I haven’t yet. Do they usually have options for handling this remotely? Traveling back to the US isn’t an option right now.
Quill said:
That sounds super stressful. Have you tried reaching out to the state’s vital records office? They usually handle amendments.
Yeah, most states have online or mail-in processes. You’ll probably need a signed statement from the detective and maybe some other forms.
Wait, what’s DFAS? I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.
LegalEagle101 said:
Wait, what’s DFAS? I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.
It’s the Defense Finance and Accounting Service—they handle payments and benefits for military personnel. Basically the go-to for vet stuff.
LegalEagle101 said:
Wait, what’s DFAS? I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.
Exactly, they’re handling my husband’s benefits, but they won’t move forward without the corrected death certificate.
You might also need a medical examiner’s report to back up the heart attack claim. The detective’s statement should help too.
Wei said:
You might also need a medical examiner’s report to back up the heart attack claim. The detective’s statement should help too.
Good idea. I’ll see if I can contact the detective again to get something official.
Wei said:
You might also need a medical examiner’s report to back up the heart attack claim. The detective’s statement should help too.
Yeah, that’s probably your best bet. Once you have it, just send it to the vital records office with their amendment form.
Living in Peru must make this so much harder! Do you have a lawyer helping you out?
Rin said:
Living in Peru must make this so much harder! Do you have a lawyer helping you out?
No lawyer yet, but I’m considering it. Might speed things up if they know the process better.
Rin said:
Living in Peru must make this so much harder! Do you have a lawyer helping you out?
Definitely think about it! A lawyer could deal with the agencies for you and save you the headache.
I went through something similar when my dad passed. Getting the right documents in place is key. Have you contacted the health department too?
Jonas said:
I went through something similar when my dad passed. Getting the right documents in place is key. Have you contacted the health department too?
Not yet, but I’ll add that to my list. Did they help you a lot when you were handling it?
Jonas said:
I went through something similar when my dad passed. Getting the right documents in place is key. Have you contacted the health department too?
Yeah, they should have clear steps for amending a death certificate. Don’t hesitate to ask them for a step-by-step guide.