When someone you love dies, the combination of grief and the weight of practical tasks that suddenly demand attention can feel overwhelming. There is no way to make this easy, but knowing what needs to happen and roughly when can help you take one step at a time rather than feeling buried under everything at once.
Here is a practical guide to the key legal and administrative steps in the first thirty days.
Within the first few days
Obtain the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the doctor or hospital. Without this, nothing else can happen.
Register the death. In England and Wales, a death must be registered within five days. Take the medical certificate to the local Register Office in the area where the person died: using the local office means you receive all necessary documents on the same day, whereas using another office causes a delay. You will receive the death certificate (order several copies, as banks, insurers, and other organisations will each require one), a certificate for burial or cremation, and a reference number for the Tell Us Once service.
Use Tell Us Once. This free government service allows you to notify most government departments of the death in a single transaction, including HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions, the local council, and relevant public pension schemes.
Arrange the funeral. The certificate for burial or cremation must be in the hands of the funeral director before any funeral can take place.
In the first two weeks
Locate the will. This may be held by a solicitor, stored at home, or registered. The will tells you who the executor is and how the estate is to be distributed. If no will can be found, seek legal advice.
Notify banks and financial institutions. Most banks have dedicated bereavement teams and will freeze accounts temporarily pending the Grant of Probate. Some will release funds directly for funeral costs before probate is granted.
Secure the property. If the deceased owned or rented a property that is now empty, check the buildings insurance, ensure it is secure, and be aware that many policies are invalidated if a property is unoccupied for more than 30 days. Set up mail redirection if needed.
Notify the employer or pension provider. If the deceased was working, there may be final salary payments or death-in-service benefits. Contact pension providers to establish what is payable to dependants or the estate.
In the first month
If you are the executor, formally instruct a solicitor to assist with probate if the estate is complex or if you are uncertain about the process. Begin valuing the estate: obtain death-of-day valuations from banks, investment providers, and if there is property, a formal estate agent or RICS surveyor valuation. These figures are needed for the inheritance tax forms.
Consider whether a caveat needs to be entered at the Probate Registry if there is any question about the validity of the will or expected disputes from family members.
Cancel subscriptions, direct debits, and ongoing contracts in the deceased's name.
Key deadlines to be aware of
Inheritance tax, where it is payable, must be paid to HMRC by the end of the sixth month after death. Interest begins to accrue after that date.
Inheritance Act claims (claims by dependants who feel they have been inadequately provided for) must be made within six months of the Grant of Probate.
You do not have to manage this alone
Dealing with an estate is a significant administrative and legal undertaking, particularly if you are also grieving. Many families choose to involve a solicitor from the outset, even for relatively straightforward estates, simply to have someone competent handling the process on their behalf.
Our private client team can support you with the full range of estate administration tasks. Get in touch at a time that suits you.
