Serving families across Texas

When someone dies, the paperwork doesn't wait.

Quiet Anchor is an after-loss concierge service for Texas families. I take on the calls, the forms, and the follow-up that pile up in the weeks after a death, so that grief is the only thing you have to carry.

Schedule a free consultation See what's included

No obligation · Free 30-minute call · Texas only

The list, worked in a prioritized order 0/14

Prepare the certified death certificate request
Notify Social Security
Request an itemized funeral price list
Locate life insurance policies
Prepare the VA burial benefit claim
Contact the pension administrator
List open accounts and subscriptions
Draft bank notification letters
Set up a forwarding address
Cancel utilities and phone service
Follow up on open claims
Gather attorney documents
Notify credit bureaus
Send a written status update

And a range of other tasks, depending on the needs and the estate

What nobody prepares you for

There is an abundant amount of paperwork, and most families find that out one item at a time.

There are certified copies of the death certificate to order, Social Security and the pension to notify, and a life insurance claim that needs a policy number nobody can find. Then come the car titles, the utilities, the subscriptions, the credit cards, and the bank that wants an original document mailed in and never tells you it didn't arrive.

All of it may show up at once in the first two weeks, and all of it wants your prompt attention. That is overwhelming for anyone in a fragile state of mind, and most people don't even know where to begin.

What I do is take that list off your hands and put it in the right order.

I make the calls, and then I send you the forms and the information that need your attention and your signature, so you can focus on grieving instead of a hundred loose ends and a phone that won't stop ringing.

How it works

Four steps, and you stay the decision-maker through it all.

We talk

We get on the phone or a video call, at no cost to you. You tell me what's going on and where things currently stand, and I'll be straightforward with you about what I can take off your plate and what needs an attorney's attention.

You get a plan

I create a checklist in the order things need to be addressed, along with an upfront flat rate. There's no hourly meter running and no balance for you to keep track of.

I go to work

I make the calls, request the documents, prepare the forms, and stay on top of the ones that go quiet, because a fair number of them will. You'll hear from me on a regular basis with an update and a short list of what needs your signature that week.

You decide

My job is to organize and prepare the correspondence that needs your attention. The signing and the submitting stay with you, and nothing moves forward without your authorization.

Services

What I take on, and what it costs.

Full after-loss coordination

Starts at $1,200

The complete list, worked in a prioritized order.

A checklist of everything that needs to happen, in an organized order
One consolidated file, so nothing gets lost or requested twice
The certified death certificate request prepared for the eligible family member, and tracked until the copies arrive
A working list of open accounts, subscriptions, and utilities
Notification letters prepared for signature
Funeral home coordination on logistics and timeline
Social Security, VA, pension, and life insurance paperwork prepared for your review
Follow-up on claims and requests that go silent
Mail forwarding and address changes organized
Documents gathered and organized for your attorney
Regular updates, so you are always in the know

Some circumstances come with an abundance of accounts, agencies, and complications compared to others. If yours appears to be one of those, I'll tell you during the consultation and quote you $1,800 for an extended engagement, or an individual quote if the work runs past 22 hours. Either way, you'll be informed before I start.

Funeral home comparison options

$350

For families who must choose a provider within the next few days and want a real list of options to compare.

Research on providers in your area
General price lists collected and organized
A side-by-side comparison of packages and costs
Plain-language explanation of everything listed
A summary of your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule

You pick the provider and you sign with them directly. My part is making sure you have legitimate information in front of you before you decide.

Pre-planning and organization

$600

For individuals who'd rather not have their family face this list unprepared.

A guided conversation to document your wishes
A written document your family can find and follow
A record of where your key documents and accounts are kept
A contact list of everyone who will need to be notified
Provider and pricing research, if you want it

This package covers logistics and documentation only, so anything to do with wills, trusts, property titles, or inheritance belongs with an attorney. What I can do is organize the documents you take to that appointment.

Obituary drafting

$200 add-on

Writing about a loved one who has passed can be difficult to put into words.

An interview to gather the details that matter most
A written draft for your review
Revisions until you approve of the draft
Formatted for newspaper publication and funeral home requirements

You approve the final draft and submit it accordingly.

The full fee is due before I start, so that the scope and the number are settled between us and nobody is tracking a balance during an already intense time. That fee covers my time, while third-party costs such as funeral home charges, certified copies, filing fees, and postage are paid by you, directly to whoever is charging them.

Before you pay me anything

What Quiet Anchor is not.

I would rather be upfront with you than have you find out halfway through that this service or these fees don't work for you. The line I draw here is what keeps you protected, so it's worth knowing exactly where it sits before we begin.

I'm not an attorney, financial advisor, CPA, insurance agent, or funeral director, and I don't give legal, financial, tax, or insurance advice.

I'm not an executor, administrator, or trustee, and I have no legal authority over anyone's estate.

I don't sign anything on your behalf. I prepare the paperwork, and you're the one who reviews it, signs it, and sends it in.

I never take custody of your money, hold it, or move it. Every payment to a funeral home, agency, or vendor goes straight from you to them, and my fee is the only money that changes hands between us.

I don't negotiate or enter into contracts for you. I'll gather the options and lay them out side by side, but you're the one who chooses and signs them.

When something comes up that needs a licensed professional, I'll tell you right away. And you'll walk into that appointment with your paperwork already in order, which usually lessens what that professional costs you.

Service area

Texas families, anywhere in the state.

Almost all documents and correspondence move by phone, email, and the U.S. Postal Service, so where you live in Texas doesn't really limit what we can do together.

Working only in Texas is on purpose, because it means I know these agencies, these providers, and these requirements well, and I can give you my full attention with no false promises.

HoustonDallas/Fort WorthSan AntonioAustinEl PasoCorpus ChristiThe ValleyWest TexasEast TexasEvery small town in between

Adrianne Brown, founder of Quiet Anchor Concierge — Adrianne Brown Founder, Quiet Anchor Concierge

About

I became the person my family needed, and now I do it for other families too.

When someone I love lost the person closest to her, it wasn't the grief that broke her, because everybody expects the grief. It was everything around it: the forms, the bank that wanted an original document mailed in and then claimed it never showed up, and the same calls made over and over because not one department ever talked to another.

She was trying to mourn her person and got handed a full-time administrative job instead, during a time when she had nothing left to give it.

So I picked up the list and started making the calls myself. What she needed wasn't advice or sympathy or another pamphlet, but one person willing to say I'll handle this and then actually handle it.

That's the whole idea here.

Where I stand

I'll be honest with you about something, which is that there are parts of this industry that make their money on the grieving party.

Nobody comparison-shops a casket or sits down and reads through an itemized price list on the second day, and nobody wants to look cheap when it comes to their own loved one's funeral. That hesitation is human and reasonable, and it often gets misused.

So I'll tell you when something is optional, and I'll tell you when a fee looks unusual to me. You'll get the itemized price list every single time, because federal law says you're entitled to one and most families never see it. Being on your side of that table isn't an extra service here. It's the reason I started Quiet Anchor in the first place.

Questions

The things people ask me on the first call.

Are you a lawyer?

No, I'm not. I'm not an attorney, financial advisor, CPA, or funeral director, and I don't give legal or financial advice. What I do is coordinate and organize the administrative side of things, and when a question needs a licensed professional, I'll tell you immediately.

Can you order the death certificates for me?

Not in my own name, because Texas limits certified death certificates to qualified applicants, which generally means immediate family or a legal representative. What I do instead is prepare the application, gather what the state requires, walk the eligible family member through signing and submitting it, and then track the request until the copies are in hand. You stay the requester, and I handle all the legwork around it.

Can you settle the estate for me?

No, that isn't something I'm able to do, because I'm not an executor, administrator, or trustee and I have no legal authority over any estate. What I can do is gather and organize everything your attorney or executor may need, which tends to save both time and legal fees.

Do you handle money?

No, and that's deliberate on my part. I never take custody of your funds, hold them, or transfer them, so every payment to a funeral home, agency, or vendor goes directly from you to them, and my fee is the only exchange between us.

Do you sign or submit anything for me?

No, and that's a line I hold to. I prepare the paperwork and get it ready to go, and then you review it, sign it, and send it in, so you stay the decision-maker every step of the way.

Do you work with families outside of Texas?

Quiet Anchor works with Texas families only, because knowing these agencies, providers, and requirements well lets me give you my full attention with no false promises, instead of guessing at fifty different sets of rules.

Do I need to be in the San Antonio area?

Not at all, since all services are handled by phone, email, and the U.S. Postal Service, which means I can work with families anywhere in Texas.

What does it cost, and when do I pay?

Full after-loss coordination starts at $1,200
Funeral home comparison options, $350
Pre-planning and organization, $600
Obituary drafting, a $200 add-on

You'll get an exact quote during the free consultation, and the full fee is due before I begin the work.

How soon can you start?

Usually within a day or two of our consultation. If you're in the first week after a loss, mention that during our initial consultation and I'll accommodate you as soon as possible.

Is there anything you won't do?

Yes, and it's worth saying plainly. I won't take on anything that requires a license I don't hold, and I won't sign for you or move your money. I'd rather tell you no clearly than blur that line and put you at risk.

Contact

Let's talk.

The consultation is free, so tell me a little about your situation and I'll be honest with you about whether I can assist, including if the answer turns out to be no.

If you're in the first few days after a loss, please say so in your first email or call, and I'll help as soon as possible.

hello@quietanchorconcierge.com
(210) 570-7230