What to Do When
Someone Dies:
A UK Guide
The days and weeks after someone dies involve a strange combination of raw grief and practical administration. This guide covers both — what needs doing, when, and what can wait. You do not have to do everything at once.
First 24–48 hours
Get the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
A doctor must issue this. In hospital, the bereavement office handles it. At home, your GP. Without it, nothing else can proceed.
Contact a funeral director
They will collect the body and guide the immediate logistics. You don't have to decide on the funeral yet — that can wait days.
Tell the immediate family
There is no right order. Do what feels manageable. You do not need to tell everyone today.
Give yourself permission to do nothing else
The legal and financial tasks can wait. You are in shock. The forms will still be there tomorrow.
Days 3–7
Register the death
Must happen within 5 days in England and Wales (8 days in Scotland). Done at the local Register Office — book online. Bring the Medical Certificate. You'll receive the Death Certificate (you'll need several copies — order at least 5).
Use the Tell Us Once service
A free government service that notifies DVLA, DWP, HMRC, the Passport Office, and local council in one step. The registrar will give you a reference number. Use it at gov.uk/tell-us-once.
Contact their bank
Accounts are typically frozen when a bank is notified of a death. You'll need a Death Certificate. If you held a joint account, this usually continues.
Locate the will (if one exists)
Check at home, with their solicitor, or search the National Will Register (certainty.co.uk). If there is no will, the estate is distributed under the Rules of Intestacy.
Plan the funeral
No legal time limit in England and Wales. Most funerals happen 2–3 weeks after death. The funeral director will guide you. You do not have to spend a fortune.
Weeks 2–4
Apply for a Grant of Probate (if needed)
Required if the estate is over approximately £5,000 or includes property. Apply at probate.service.gov.uk. Takes 4–16 weeks. Consider a probate solicitor if the estate is complex (costs typically £2,500–£7,500).
Contact insurance companies
Life insurance, home insurance, any protection policies. Death certificates required. Some policies pay out quickly; others take weeks.
Notify pension providers
State Pension stops on death (overpayments must be returned). Private/workplace pensions may have a lump sum or dependant's pension — contact each provider.
Cancel direct debits and subscriptions
Go through their bank statements. Cancel: streaming services, memberships, gym, phone contracts. Some require a Death Certificate; others just need a cancellation request.
Notify HMRC
Their P45 or P60 may be needed. Inheritance Tax (IHT) may apply if the estate exceeds £325,000 (or £500,000 if a family home passes to children). HMRC's bereavement guide: gov.uk/death-and-bereavement.
Months 2–3
Distribute the estate
Once probate is granted and debts are settled, assets can be transferred to beneficiaries. Keep clear records of everything.
Deal with property
If they owned property, it cannot be sold until probate is complete. A probate solicitor or estate agent experienced in probate sales can advise.
Consider your own grief
This is the point at which the shock often wears off and the reality sets in. Many people find support more useful now than in the first weeks. See resources below.
Sort their digital life
Email accounts, social media, online shopping accounts. Meta/Facebook allows memorialisation or removal. Google has an Inactive Account Manager. Apple and Microsoft both have legacy contact processes.
What you do not have to do
UK support and resources
Cruse Bereavement Support
cruse.org.uk · Free phone helpline (0808 808 1677) and local support groups
Marie Curie
mariecurie.org.uk · Practical and emotional support, excellent free guides
The Good Grief Trust
thegoodgrieftrust.org · National map of grief cafes and support groups
Tell Us Once
gov.uk/tell-us-once · Notifies government departments in one step
Probate service
probate.service.gov.uk · Apply for Grant of Probate online
Citizens Advice
citizensadvice.org.uk · Free advice on benefits, debt, legal rights after bereavement
If they left a voice archive
If your family member used Vivencia to record their stories and memories before they died, their archive is waiting for you. There is no rush to listen. Many families find it helps to wait until the initial shock has passed — weeks or even months later.
When you are ready, the archive is searchable by topic. You can find specific recordings, share them with other family members, or simply listen. It does not expire. It will be there whenever you need it.
If you are setting up a Vivencia account for a family member who is still alive and facing a terminal diagnosis, the Voice Plan is built for urgency →
Preserve their voice before it is too late
The families who have been through this tell us the same thing: they wish they had more of their loved one's voice. Vivencia captures it while there is still time — guided weekly prompts, recorded in their own voice, stored forever.
Start their archive →From £9.99/month · 30-day money-back guarantee · UK-based · ICO registered