What to do when someone dies

What happens if the death happened at the hospital?

If the person died in hospital, the staff will arrange for a Doctor to issue a medical certificate that will specify the time, date, and cause of death. If a Doctor is not on duty at the time of death, you may be given an appointment to collect the medical certificate at a later date. If you have questions regarding the cause of death stated on the medical certificate, it is appropriate to ask the medical staff. At the same time as collecting the medical certificate, the deceased’s belongings can also usually be collected. The person who has died is then taken to the hospital mortuary, before being transferred to the Funeral Directors.

What happens if the death happened at home?

If the death occurred at home or in a care or nursing home, a GP will usually issue the medical certificate. You should contact your local Doctor if the death occurred under natural circumstances.

In the case of sudden or unexpected deaths, the first thing to do when someone dies at home is to contact emergency services.

Where do I register a death?

A death should be registered at the register office in the area where the person died. If this is not possible, the death can be registered at a register office of your choice, and the information will then be passed to the registrar closest to where the death occurred. If this approach is taken, it may result in a delay in the paperwork being processed.

How do I register a death?

Visiting the local register office is the easiest way to get the documents you need. In most cases, registration takes less than an hour to complete.

An appointment is generally made by calling the register office directly or booking online.

How long do I have to register a death? 

In England and Wales, you have up to five days to register a death. In Scotland, a death must be registered with local registration districts within eight days. The following documents are required:

•    Medical certificate of cause of death
•    Birth and marriage certificates
•    NHS medical card (if available)

What information does the registrar require about the deceased?

•    Date and place of death
•    Home address
•    Full name – including maiden name, any former married names, and any other names by which the deceased was known
•    Date and place of birth – the town or county is sufficient if the exact address is not known (or the country of origin if born outside the UK)
•    Their current or, if retired, former occupation
•    Details of their spouse or civil partner and whether they died before them
•    Whether they had any government pension or allowance

What will the registrar provide me after registering the death?

A death certificate

This proves that the death has been registered. It is recommended that you buy several copies, perhaps one for each bank or financial institution where the person held accounts, and each pension or insurance policy. Extra certificates are sometimes more expensive to purchase at a later stage and photocopies are not usually accepted by institutions.

A certificate of registration of death

This is often called the ‘white form’. This is given if the deceased was entitled to a state pension or benefits. If required, the details must be completed and sent to the address on the reverse of the form.

A certificate for burial or cremation

This is often called the ‘green form’ and it must be given to the Funeral Director before the funeral can take place.

4. Dealing with the Will

The next thing that needs to be done is to find out if the deceased left a valid Will. There may be specific funeral requests contained in this document. If you cannot find a Will, we advise conducting a Will search by approaching Will Writers and Solicitors local to the area where the deceased lived and searching The National Will Register. This is particularly important when it comes to dealing with the deceased’s affairs later on, as there are different legal requirements for administering the estate if no valid Will was written.

Related content:

•    What is the purpose of a Will?
•    What is an Executor of a Will?
•    What happens when you die without a Will

5. Locating important documents

What documents do you need after death? At this stage, you should already have the birth, marriage, and death certificates. However, other important paperwork such as pension details, insurance policies, and bank and building society accounts will be helpful later on, particularly if you need to apply for probate (or confirmation in Scotland). Once these documents have been located, it is advisable to keep them all together in a safe place for ease of access.

Related content:

•    How to find a Will and other important documents

6. Arranging the funeral

The deceased may have left a written record, told family and friends about their funeral wishes, or have a pre-paid funeral plan in place. It is advisable to check whether any of these arrangements have been made prior to contacting a Funeral Director independently. If no specific requests were made during the person’s life, a range of decisions regarding the funeral will need to be made by the family. These decisions will include:

•    Whether the person should be buried or cremated
•    Where the funeral is to take place
•    What flowers are required
•    What readings you would like during the service
•    What music is to be played

Most families choose to hand arrangements over to a professional Funeral Director, who will be able to offer advice and guidance. Don’t be afraid to shop around and ask for a detailed breakdown of costs, as funeral fees can vary considerably. Family and friends may also be able to offer recommendations. When looking for a Funeral Director, it is a good idea to ensure they are members of a trade association. Most Funeral Directors will be a member of either the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) or the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF).

How do I pay for the funeral?

You may be able to access funds from the deceased’s bank account to pay for the funeral directly. However, this is not always possible, in which case any reasonable expenses you incur will need to be reimbursed to you from the estate at a later date. If the deceased’s estate does not have sufficient money to pay for the funeral, financial help may be available. You will need to contact your local Social Security office for further information. You should also be aware that there may be deadlines for applying for assistance.

Related content:

•    Arranging and paying for a funeral: The things you need to know

7. Probate

Probate, also known as a Grant of Probate, is a legal document that the Executors of a Will may need to obtain when administering the estate of someone who has died. In scenarios where the deceased passed away without a Will, the document is referred to as a Grant of Letters of Administration, and the person responsible for sourcing this legal document is referred to as an Administrator. The umbrella term for both a Grant of Probate and a Grant of Letters of Administration is Grant of Representation; both terms refer to the same process.

Obtaining probate provides the Executor with the legal authority to carry out estate administration – the process of dealing with the deceased’s assets, legal affairs, debts, and more. Therefore, probate is one step of the wider estate administration process.

How do you avoid probate? The reality is that the requirement for probate is not determined by the estate value or whether a Will was left behind or not; financial institutions set their own probate thresholds, and this varies between different providers. For this reason, probate is unavoidable if the deceased owned assets that exceed these individual thresholds.

Do you have to tell the bank when someone dies?

The banks and financial institutions with which the deceased held accounts will need to be notified of their passing. It is advisable to notify the financial institutions as soon as possible so the account can be frozen, as the deceased may have ongoing standing orders and direct debits.

Do I need a death certificate to close a bank account?

Banks and financial institutions require a copy of the death certificate to freeze or close an account. In addition to the death certificate, they will also want to see proof of authority – this may be a copy of the Will stating that you are the Executor or evidence that demonstrates your relationship to the deceased if there is no Will. 

Can you access a deceased person's bank account without probate?

“How can I withdraw money from a deceased person's bank account?” is a commonly asked question. The deceased’s bank account can be accessed by the Executor or Administrator if it does not exceed the institution’s probate threshold. For example, Bank A may require a Grant for £10,000 in a current account if the value exceeds their probate threshold of £5,000. However, Bank B may not require a Grant for £10,000 worth of monies if they have a probate threshold of £15,000.

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