Free · England and Wales · Printable
What to do when someone dies: a checklist
Written by Simon D Campbell, based on GOV.UK guidance.
The short answer
First, have the death verified by a doctor or paramedic. Then register it within 5 days, use Tell Us Once, arrange the funeral, find the will, notify banks and insurers, deal with the property and finally settle the estate. Only the first few steps are urgent.
The guide remembers what you have ticked, on your own device. The PDF is for printing or sharing.
Phase 1: First 48 hours
Who to call, the medical certificate, the coroner, what the Police do, and making the property safe.
- Get the death formally verified
Call the right person so the death can be verified.
- Understand the Police and coroner role
Find out whether the coroner is involved, and get the case number.
- Get the medical certificate of cause of death
Ask the hospital or GP when the certificate will be ready.
- Secure the property
Make sure the home is locked, and note who holds keys.
- If the death happened at home and was not found straight away
Close the room off, stay out of it, and let professionals assess it.
- Pets, food and heating
Arrange care for any pets and empty the fridge.
- Tell the people who need to hear it from you
Make a short list of people to tell, and share it out.
Phase 2: First week
Registering the death, Tell Us Once, death certificates and choosing a funeral director.
- Register the death
Book an appointment with the register office.
- Order enough death certificates
Buy several certified copies while you are at the register office.
- Use Tell Us Once
Use the Tell Us Once reference the registrar gives you.
- Choose a funeral director
Get two written quotes before you commit.
- Check who pays for the funeral
Find out whether the estate, a plan, or a benefit covers the cost.
Phase 3: First month
The will, executor duties, valuing the estate, probate, banks, utilities and insurers.
- Find the will
Look for the original will and confirm who the executor is.
- Where there is no will
Work out who has the right to administer the estate.
- Value the estate
List everything owned and everything owed.
- Work out whether you need probate
Ask each bank what their threshold is.
- Apply for probate
Submit the probate application and the inheritance tax forms.
- Notify banks, utilities and insurers
Work down the list, one organisation at a time.
Phase 4: Property
Securing and insuring the home, contents, clearance, cleaning, gas capping and handing it on.
- Insure the empty property properly
Convert the policy to unoccupied property cover.
- Photograph and list the contents
Walk each room with your phone before anything moves.
- Clear the property
Book clearance once the contents have been agreed.
- Hoarding, pests and infestation
Get the property assessed for flies, wasps, rodents and hoarded waste before anyone clears it.
- Specialist cleaning, if it is needed
Arrange specialist cleaning where the death was unattended.
- Gas capping, safety certificates and the deep clean
Book a Gas Safe engineer and a final clean before handover.
- Sell the property or hand it back
Decide between selling on the open market, at auction, or a cash sale.
Phase 5: Finishing
Distributing the estate, closing the estate account and what to keep, and for how long.
- Settle debts before distributing anything
Pay the estate's debts and check nothing is outstanding.
- Distribute the estate
Pay the beneficiaries and get receipts.
- Close the estate account and the loose ends
Close the estate bank account and cancel what is left.
- What to keep, and for how long
File the final records somewhere safe.
General information, not legal advice. Applies to England and Wales. See also the glossary of terms and who actually does what.