What to Do When Someone Dies

The exact route depends on where and how the person died, whether a coroner is involved and what the estate contains. This guide gives a practical order for the first actions in England and Wales.

This guide is written for the person who has just lost someone and is now being asked to do things they have never done before. You may have been named as an executor in a will. You may be the eldest child, or the only one who lives nearby. You may simply be the one who picks up the phone. Whatever brought you here, you are not expected to know all of this already.

This guide provides general information about what typically happens in England and Wales. It is not legal advice. If the estate is complex, or if there is any dispute, speaking to a solicitor is worth doing early.

The first 24 hours

When someone dies at home, you call 999 if the death was unexpected, or follow the care plan and call the GP or NHS 111 if it was expected. A suitable healthcare professional verifies the death. The doctor and medical examiner process then establishes the recorded cause and confirms when registration can go ahead. If the person died in hospital, its bereavement office should explain the local process.

You do not need to do anything with the body immediately. A funeral director can explain collection once the death has been verified. If the death was unexpected, the emergency services, police or coroner control the immediate process. Follow the healthcare professional's advice about timing and care of the person who has died.

The first 24 hours are mostly about making sure the right people know. Close family. A few close friends. The person's employer if they were still working. Also make sure any children, dependent adults and animals are safe, and secure an empty home without excluding a lawful occupier. Most administrative calls can wait until the immediate arrangements are clear.

Registering the death

In England and Wales, you must wait for the medical examiner's office to confirm that the death can be registered. You then register the death within five days of that confirmation. The death is normally registered through the register office for the area where it happened. If you cannot attend there, ask another register office in England and Wales whether you can give a declaration for it to forward to the death district; this can delay the documents and funeral arrangements. Contact the relevant office first for its current appointment and evidence requirements.

The registrar will ask for basic information about the person: full name, date and place of birth, occupation and address. If the person was married or in a civil partnership, you may need details of that relationship. Ask the register office what information and documents it needs before you attend. For help preparing for the appointment, see our guide to registering a death.

At the registration appointment you can buy certified copies of the death entry. They currently cost £12.50 each in England and Wales. There is no standard number to buy: ask the organisations you already know about whether they need an original, accept another form of evidence and return originals. Further copies can be ordered later.

Finding the will

If you know a will exists, now is the time to find the original document. A probate application will normally need the original signed will and any codicils. A missing original or an application based on a copy needs a different evidential route, so do not assume the copy is enough or that the estate is intestate. Check the obvious places first: a filing cabinet, a desk drawer, a fireproof box. Some people keep their will with their solicitor, in which case the solicitor will have a record of it. Others register their will with the National Will Register, which offers a paid search service; check its current price and terms.

If you cannot find a will, it is worth searching thoroughly before assuming there is none. Look through old paperwork, check with any solicitors the person used, and search the National Will Register at nationalwillregister.co.uk. If no will is found, the estate is distributed under the rules of intestacy — which may not reflect what the person would have wanted.

The will names the executors: the people responsible for administering the estate. If you are named as an executor, you do not have to accept the role. Depending on what you have already done, you may be able to renounce or reserve power, while other options apply in some cases. Being an executor is a significant responsibility. Before acting in a way that may affect your options, read the current guidance or take advice.

Notifying organisations

Beyond Tell Us Once, there is a longer list of organisations to contact. This is one of the more tedious parts of the process — each one has its own procedure, and some will ask for a death certificate. The key ones to prioritise in the first few weeks are:

You can contact each organisation through its bereavement team or use a notification service after checking which organisations it currently covers, what authority it requires, how it handles personal information and whether any fee applies. Keep the confirmation from every contact.

Understanding the estate

The estate's assets are what the person owned at death: property, savings, investments, possessions, and money owed to them. Mortgages, loans, credit cards, and outstanding bills are liabilities that must be identified and dealt with when calculating and administering the estate.

Start by making a list of everything you know about. Bank statements, investment accounts, property deeds, pension documents, insurance policies. Obtain date-of-death balances or values from the relevant organisations. Use a professional valuation where a reliable open-market estimate cannot otherwise be made or the asset and tax risk justify it.

For property and valuable or unusual possessions, consider an estate agent, RICS-qualified surveyor, auctioneer, or other suitable specialist. Keep the evidence and assumptions used for every material value.

Do you need probate?

Probate is the legal process of proving that you have the authority to deal with the estate. If the person left a will, the executors apply for a Grant of Probate. If there is no will, the person entitled under the statutory order of priority applies for Letters of Administration. An unmarried partner cannot apply merely because they were the partner or are described as next of kin. A grant is the evidence many asset holders require before allowing the personal representatives to deal with an asset.

Not every estate needs probate. Whether you need it depends on what the person owned and how they owned it. As a rough guide:

• If the person owned property in their sole name, you will almost certainly need probate.
• A bank or investment provider may require a grant for a sole-name account. Each provider sets its own threshold and evidence rules, so ask it directly.
• If assets pass to surviving owners or providers agree to release sole-name balances without a grant, you may not need probate.

The application is made online or by post through the Probate Registry. The application fee is £526 for an estate worth more than £5,000, with no application fee if the estate is worth £5,000 or less. GOV.UK says probate is usually granted within 12 weeks of submitting the application, though it can take longer if HMCTS needs more information or documents.

To understand the grant and who can apply, read What is probate? To work through the assets and provider requirements, use Do I need probate?

Immediate financial concerns

One of the most stressful aspects of bereavement is the financial uncertainty — particularly if the person who died was contributing to household income, or if you are unsure what you are entitled to.

If your spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner died, contact the Department for Work and Pensions as soon as possible. You may be entitled to Bereavement Support Payment — a lump sum followed by monthly payments for up to 18 months. It can cover surviving spouses, civil partners and people who were living with their partner as if married where the Child Benefit or pregnancy conditions apply. Claims usually need to be made within 21 months, and claiming within 3 months affects whether you receive the full amount. Check the current rules on gov.uk.

If you are worried about the mortgage or rent, contact the lender or landlord early. Ask what is due, what evidence it needs, and what short-term arrangement may be available. Keep the response in writing and do not assume payments have stopped.

If you are an executor and need to pay estate expenses before probate is granted, ask each bank what estate expenses it can pay directly and what evidence it needs. If you pay an expense personally, keep the receipt and check that it is a proper administration expense and that the estate has funds before assuming it can reimburse you.

Looking after yourself

This section is not a formality. The administrative burden of bereavement falls on people who are already grieving. A written record, clear responsibilities, and timely specialist help can reduce avoidable mistakes and disputes.

A few things that genuinely help:

Write things down. Every phone call, every letter, every decision. You will not remember it all, and having a record protects you if anything is disputed later.

Communicate with beneficiaries. Give proportionate, factual updates without promising a completion date you cannot control. Record what was sent and any decisions that affect an entitlement.

EstateManager can keep the first-days estate admin in one place, including the Tell Us Once reference, death certificate copies, will search, bank and pension contacts, property checks, funeral costs, expenses, beneficiary updates and decisions as the estate moves from the first days into probate.

Ask for help. You do not have to do this alone. Solicitors, accountants, and professional estate administrators can help where the work needs their expertise. Agree the scope and fees first and check whether the expense is properly payable from this estate.

Work at a controlled pace while recording deadlines.Some first actions and claims have short time limits. Inheritance Tax is generally due by the end of the sixth month after the month of death, and interest can run after that. Other deadlines can apply to tax, claims and benefits, so record them instead of relying on a general estate timetable.

What happens when

The order matters more than a promised duration. A stopped probate application, tax work, a sale, a dispute or missing information can change the timing substantially.

Common questions

Can I access the person's bank account before probate?

A bank normally restricts a sole account after notification, but its evidence rules decide whether it requires a grant to release the balance. A joint account will normally continue in the surviving holder's name, subject to its terms and any ownership dispute. A bank may agree to pay an essential funeral invoice directly before a grant; ask first.

What happens to direct debits and standing orders?

Their treatment depends on the bank, account type, and payment method. Notify the bank, review each payment, and arrange another way to pay any essential home insurance, mortgage, or household bill that must continue.

Does the person's debt die with them?

Sole debts remain liabilities of the estate; they do not normally become a relative's personal debts. Joint debts, guarantees, secured debts, and new liabilities can be different. If the estate cannot pay every debt, it is insolvent and a statutory payment order applies. Take specialist advice before paying creditors or distributing anything.

What if there is no will?

The estate is distributed under the intestacy rules. Who inherits, and in what shares, depends on the relatives who survive and the value of the estate; a spouse or civil partner and children can both be entitled. Unmarried partners do not inherit automatically under intestacy, regardless of how long they lived together, although a separate claim may be possible. Establish the family tree and current rules before distributing anything.

How long does the whole process take?

There is no reliable standard duration. The timing depends on the assets, tax, grant application, sales, missing information, creditor or claim periods and any dispute. Where Inheritance Tax is due, some usually has to be paid before the grant, although instalment and funding routes can apply. Keep beneficiaries updated without promising a completion date.

Do I need a solicitor?

Not always. A personal representative can apply without a solicitor where the route is suitable. Consider specialist advice for tax, insolvency, trusts, overseas assets, a missing or disputed will, competing claims or conflict. Proper and reasonable administration costs may be payable from the estate, but agree the scope and fees and check the estate's position first.

There is no way to make this process easy. But there is a way to make it manageable — by taking it one step at a time, keeping good records, communicating openly with everyone involved, and asking for help when you need it.

If you are at the beginning of this journey, start with the death being confirmed, then follow the medical examiner or coroner process that applies before registration. The other first actions can then be organised.