What to do when someone dies: your checklist
You do not have to complete everything at once. Start with the immediate arrangements, then work with the executors or administrator on the estate.
- Follow the medical and registration process. Wait for the medical examiner’s or coroner’s instructions.
- Find the latest Will. Identify the executors and check for funeral wishes.
- Arrange the funeral. Check any existing plan and agree costs before committing.
- Protect the home and important papers. Check insurance and arrange care for dependants or pets.
- Notify government and other organisations. Use Tell Us Once where available, then contact private providers separately.
- Record assets and debts. Obtain date-of-death values and check tax obligations.
- Check whether probate is needed. The answer depends on the assets and how they are owned.
- Check for Will trusts. Identify trustees, beneficiaries and any survivor’s occupation rights.
- Settle the estate in the proper order. Keep records and deal with liabilities before distributing inheritances.
This checklist is for England and Wales. Deaths abroad, coroner investigations and other UK jurisdictions can follow different procedures. The official step-by-step guide is a useful starting point.
1. Medical certification and registering the death
Medical confirmation of death and registering the death are separate steps. In England and Wales, a medical examiner is an independent senior doctor who checks the medical cause of death; this is different from a coroner. For a death not investigated by a coroner, the medical examiner’s office explains when registration can proceed.
Current GOV.UK guidance says to register within five days of receiving confirmation that you can register, including weekends and bank holidays. It is not simply five days from the death in every case. Contact the register office immediately if more time is needed, and follow the coroner’s instructions where relevant.
The registrar explains the documents available, including the certificate needed for burial or cremation. Ask banks and other organisations whether they require an official death-certificate copy before ordering multiple copies. See GOV.UK’s registration guidance.
2. Find the Will and understand who can act
Look for the latest original signed Will, any codicils and information about professional storage. Contact the drafter or storage provider if necessary. Keep the original intact: do not remove its binding or staples, write on it or separate its pages.
What happens to a Will when someone dies? Its executors use it to establish the deceased’s instructions and administer the estate. Being named as a beneficiary does not itself give authority to deal with accounts. Being “next of kin” is not the same as being an executor.
An executor can also be a beneficiary. If nobody named can act, or the original cannot be found, obtain advice before assuming a photocopy or informal family agreement is sufficient. Our executor guide explains the role.
3. Funeral arrangements and protecting the home
Check for funeral wishes, a prepaid plan or relevant insurance before arranging services. Ask for a clear quotation and establish who is contracting to pay. The funeral can usually take place only after registration, with different arrangements where a coroner is involved. GOV.UK explains the options and possible financial help.
Arrange for the property to be secure and check the insurer’s requirements, especially if it becomes unoccupied. Keep essential services and paperwork under review rather than cancelling everything immediately. Record expenditure and discuss decisions with the other personal representatives.
4. Who to notify when someone dies
Tell Us Once reports a death to most government organisations through one service. The registrar provides information or a reference number, which must be used within 28 days. It does not close every private account.
| Organisation | What to check |
|---|---|
| Government departments and council | Use Tell Us Once where eligible; check the service’s list of organisations covered. |
| Banks, building societies and investment providers | Contact their bereavement teams about accounts, balances and evidence of authority. |
| Mortgage lender, landlord or housing association | Establish payment and occupancy arrangements. |
| Employer and pension providers | Ask about unpaid salary, death benefits and survivor benefits. |
| Insurers | Notify relevant life, home and vehicle insurers and check continuing cover. |
| Utilities, telephone and subscriptions | Arrange appropriate transfers or closures and keep reference numbers. |
Keep a notification log with the date, reference and next action. See the official Tell Us Once guidance for coverage and exceptions.
5. Value the estate and check whether probate is needed
Gather account balances, property details, investments, insurance information and debts. The personal representatives need enough information to establish the estate’s value and any tax-reporting obligations. An estate can also have income or gains during administration.
A grant of probate confirms the authority of the executors named in a Will. Without a valid Will, an eligible administrator may need letters of administration instead. Not every death requires a grant. Ask each asset holder what it requires; one bank releasing an account does not answer the question for the whole estate.
Use GOV.UK’s probate guidance. Our guides explain probate timescales and tracking an application.
6. What happens to the house and any Will trust?
Check both the property ownership and the Will. With beneficial joint-tenancy ownership, the property normally passes to the surviving owner by survivorship. A tenant-in-common share can pass under the Will or intestacy. A shared address or joint mortgage does not, by itself, establish which arrangement applies.
If the Will contains a Property Protection Trust, the deceased’s defined share may be held under its terms rather than given outright to the survivor. Executors and trustees should check:
- Which assets and ownership share enter the trust.
- Who the trustees and ultimate beneficiaries are.
- The survivor’s rights to occupy the home or move.
- Responsibility for insurance, maintenance and other costs.
- Any property-record, tax and registration work required.
Example: a Will may give the survivor occupation rights while preserving a share for children. The children should not assume they can demand that share immediately. Read the actual terms and obtain advice before selling, transferring or distributing trust assets. See what trustees do.
Does the trust need registering with HMRC?
Check promptly rather than treating every trust as having the same deadline. Qualifying Will trusts holding only estate assets generally have a two-year exclusion from non-taxable Trust Registration Service registration, measured from death. An ongoing registrable trust will generally need registration after that exclusion ends; in the usual case HMRC specifies 90 days from the two-year anniversary. Tax liabilities or a different trust structure can change the position.
This is not a general two-year deadline for lifetime trusts, and it does not postpone other estate duties. The HMRC guidance on estates and Will trusts explains the distinctions.
7. Debts, inheritance and what not to rush
Personal representatives must identify and deal with liabilities before dividing the estate. Do not distribute simply because cash is available. Later tax bills, creditor claims or disputes can leave an executor exposed if they paid beneficiaries prematurely.
Family members do not ordinarily inherit a debt merely through being related, but joint borrowing, guarantees and contracts they sign themselves can create personal obligations. If debts may exceed assets, get advice before paying creditors or agreeing payments. See MoneyHelper’s guidance on debts after death.
Keep estate accounts and supporting receipts, including records of money transferred to any continuing trust. The estate administration and the trust’s ongoing management are different stages.
If there is no Will, or you need help
Without a valid Will, the intestacy rules determine who inherits and who is entitled to apply to administer the estate. Do not assume an unmarried partner automatically receives everything. Read our intestacy guide and use the official inheritance checker.
If Xwills prepared or stores the documents, contact us about locating them and understanding the planning recorded. Probate applications and estate administration are not presented as an in-house Xwills legal service. Where needed, we can signpost or introduce an independent solicitor who advises and contracts with you directly.
Seek individual advice promptly for disputed or missing Wills, insolvent estates, overseas assets, missing beneficiaries or trust arrangements you do not understand. Bereavement can make paperwork difficult; ask someone you trust to help keep an organised list of tasks.
Frequently asked questions
What documents should I gather?
Start with the death certificate or relevant coroner’s document, original Will and codicils, identification, property records, account statements, debt information and any trust documents. Providers will explain the evidence they require.
Does Tell Us Once notify the bank?
No. Contact banks and other private financial providers separately, even if you have used Tell Us Once.
Does the surviving spouse automatically own the whole house?
Not in every case. The ownership structure, any Will trust and the applicable inheritance rules need checking.
Can I deal with everything using the LPA?
No. The donor’s LPA ends when they die. Estate authority belongs to the executors or other personal representatives.
Tell us what you want to achieve
You do not need to know the name of the legal document or trust before speaking to us. Explain the family, property or planning issue and we can discuss the relevant options.
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