Dealing with the death of a loved one is hard enough without the added stress of working out what to do next. Our guide sets out the initial steps you need to take to help you through this process.

1. Notify family and friends

2. Register the Death

You must register the death within 5 days. You should contact the local Register Office in the area where the person died.

When registering the death you will need to tell the registrar:

- the person’s full name and any previous names

- their date and place of birth

- their address and occupation

- the full name, date of birth and occupation of any living or deceased spouse or civil partner 

3. Obtain Copies of the Death Certificate

It is a good idea to purchase certified copies of the death certificate when you register the death as these will be required for dealing with banks, insurance companies, and other institutions.

4. Arrange the Funeral

Contact a funeral director who will help guide and support you with the arrangements. 

You should check if the deceased had a pre-paid funeral plan or left any written wishes in respect of their funeral arrangements. Their will may contain details of any funeral wishes.

5. Locate the will 

Check the person’s papers to locate a copy of their will. The person or persons named in the will to act as executors will have legal responsibility to deal with the deceased’s assets. 

If the person didn’t leave a will they will have died ‘intestate’ and under the ‘intestacy rules’ certain relatives will be entitled to deal with their estate. 

6. Secure the person’s assets and property

If the person’s home will be left unoccupied you should ensure that the property and any contents are secure. 

You should locate details of the buildings and contents insurance and notify the insurance company immediately to ensure that cover will continue. If there is no insurance you should arrange for insurance to be put in place.

If the person owned a car you should also notify the car insurance company immediately. 

7. Locate financial documents

You should carry out a thorough search of the person’s papers to locate details of all assets. This could include bank and building society accounts, investments, National Savings and Investments products, share certificates, bonds, life insurance and pensions.

You should also establish details of any debts owed by the person.

8. Notify asset and liability holders

The Government operates a ‘Tell us once’ service - this allows you to report a death to most government organisations in one go. The registrar will provide details about how to use this service when you register the death.

You will also need to notify all asset and liability holders that you have identified in the step above. 

You should provide a copy of the death certificate to the following and ask them to confirm the value of the asset at the date of the person’s death -

  • Banks/Building Societies
  • National Savings and Investments
  • Investment manager
  • Share registrar
  • Life assurance company
  • Pension providers

You should also notify all utility companies and any mortgage provider or landlord to establish details of any monies owed by the deceased. 

9. Handling the Estate

If you are named as executor you will be responsible for dealing with the distribution of the person’s assets, settlement of debts and other estate related tasks. You will need to establish whether there is any inheritance tax to pay on the estate and may also need to apply for a ‘grant of probate’ to deal with the person’s property, money and possessions. 

We would recommend seeking legal support as soon as possible to guide you through the legal process. 

10. Bereavement help and support

Bereavement can affect people in different ways. Ensure you are looking after your physical and mental health during this time. Seek support from friends and family or consider seeking support from bereavement counselling services or join support groups or forums, if needed. Helpful links can be found on the gov.uk website.

The law and practice referred to in this article or webinar has been paraphrased or summarised. It might not be up-to-date with changes in the law and we do not guarantee the accuracy of any information provided at the time of reading. It should not be construed or relied upon as legal advice in relation to a specific set of circumstances.