Nobody prepares you for the administrative weight of someone dying. While you’re dealing with grief, shock, and the practicalities of being without someone, there are forms to file, people to notify, and accounts to close. The tasks feel endless and the instructions are nowhere to be found.
This guide exists to change that. It covers everything that needs to happen after a death in the UK — in the order it needs to happen — in plain English.
The first week
The first week after a death is the most time-sensitive. Several tasks have legal deadlines; others, while not strictly time-limited, become more complicated the longer they’re left.
The most urgent tasks are: obtaining a medical certificate of cause of death, registering the death, and arranging care for any dependants or pets who need it.
Everything else — notifying banks, cancelling subscriptions, dealing with the estate — can wait a few days.
The death certificate
To register a death in England and Wales, you need a medical certificate of cause of death signed by the attending doctor or coroner. In most cases, a GP or hospital doctor provides this within a day or two.
You then register the death at the local register office — in person, with an appointment, within five days (eight in Scotland). The registrar will provide certified copies of the death certificate. Order more than you think you need: banks, insurers, and government bodies all require originals.
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering a deceased person’s estate. Not every estate needs it — it depends on the value and type of assets involved.
As a rough guide:
- If the deceased owned property in their sole name, probate is almost always required
- If assets are held jointly (spouse or civil partner), they usually pass automatically
- Banks have their own thresholds — typically £25,000–£50,000 — below which they may release funds without probate
If probate is required, the executor named in the will applies to the Probate Registry. If there is no will, the next of kin applies for letters of administration. Both processes take several months; a solicitor can help but is not required.
Bank accounts
Notify the deceased’s bank as soon as you have the death certificate. Most banks have bereavement teams that are considerably more helpful than standard customer service.
Joint accounts usually continue unaffected. Sole accounts will be frozen until probate is granted (or the bank’s threshold for release without probate is met). Direct debits and standing orders will stop, so be aware of any bills that were paid from these accounts.
Subscriptions and digital accounts
The digital admin of death is underestimated by almost everyone. The deceased may have had dozens of active subscriptions — streaming services, software, insurance, utilities — all billing automatically.
Start by checking bank and credit card statements for recurring payments. Contact each provider individually. Most will cancel on receipt of a death certificate; some will require probate documentation for refunds.
For social media accounts, platforms have individual processes — Facebook allows memorialisation or deletion, Instagram requires a form from a family member, and so on.
Funeral planning
Funeral arrangements can be made before or after the death is registered — but the funeral itself cannot legally take place until the death is registered and a certificate for burial or cremation has been issued.
The average UK funeral costs between £3,500 and £5,000. Direct cremation — without a formal service — starts from around £1,000. There is no legal requirement for any particular type of funeral.
If the deceased left funeral wishes — in a will, a letter, or spoken — these are not legally binding but are generally followed. If there are no wishes on record, the next of kin decides.