Probate · 12 min read · Published
What to do when someone dies: a step-by-step checklist
The practical steps after a death in England and Wales, from registering it to deciding whether probate is needed.
By Aaron Johnson, Consultant Solicitor and TEP, a solicitor in Bridlington who writes every guide himself.
This guide is general information about the law of England and Wales, not legal advice. Each case is assessed on its own merits.
Guides · Probate · No. 17 of 21Published · 12 minutes
When someone dies, you face a long list of practical tasks in the middle of grief. This guide sets out what to do, step by step, so nothing is missed.
Aaron has helped many families across Bridlington and East Yorkshire through this. You do not have to do it alone, and you do not have to do everything at once.
The first 48 hours
A few things need to happen quite quickly. Try not to feel rushed. These steps can usually be dealt with over a couple of days.
If the person died at home or in a care home, contact their GP surgery as soon as possible. The GP or hospital doctor completes the medical certificate of cause of death. If the death was unexpected or the cause is unknown, it is referred to the coroner, which delays registration.
Contact a funeral director. They help with the practical arrangements and can usually collect the person from where they died. Many funeral directors in Bridlington answer calls out of hours.
Registering the death
In England and Wales a death must be registered within five days of the medical examiner's office confirming the cause of death. You register at a register office. It is quickest in the district where the person died.
How to Register a Death
- Get the medical certificateThe doctor completes it and the medical examiner's office checks it. The office then sends it to the registrar and tells you that you can register the death.
- Book an appointment at the register officeYou can use any register office in England or Wales, but it is quickest at the one for the district where the person died.
- Take the documents you haveThe person's birth certificate, marriage or civil partnership certificate, NHS medical card and proof of address, if available. You will also be asked for their date and place of birth, last address and occupation.
- Receive the death certificateThe registrar issues the death certificate. Order four or five certified copies (£12.50 each). Banks, insurers and pension providers will each want to see one.
- Receive the green form for burial or cremationThe registrar also issues the certificate for burial or cremation (the "green form"). Give it to the funeral director.
Notifying organisations
Once you have the death certificate, you need to tell a number of organisations. The registrar will give you a reference for the government's Tell Us Once service. It tells HMRC, the DWP, the DVLA, the Passport Office and the local council in one go.
Even with Tell Us Once, you will usually need to contact these separately:
- Banks and building societies: to freeze or close accounts and release funds
- Mortgage lender: if the person owned property with a mortgage
- Pension providers: to stop payments and claim any lump sum or survivor's pension
- Insurers: life, home and car insurance
- Utility companies: gas, electricity, water, broadband and phone
- Council tax: the household may qualify for a discount or exemption
- Credit card companies: to stop further charges
- Subscriptions: TV, streaming, magazines and memberships
Arranging the funeral
The funeral can usually take place once the death has been registered and the funeral director has the green form. If a coroner is involved, the coroner gives the authority for the funeral instead, often before the death can be registered. Most funerals happen within a few weeks. There is no legal deadline.
Check whether the person left instructions about their wishes. These might be in their will, a letter of wishes or a pre-paid funeral plan. If there is a pre-paid plan, contact the provider as soon as possible.
Whether you need probate
Probate is the legal process that gives someone authority to deal with a person's estate (their money, property and possessions) after death. Not every estate needs probate, but many do.
You will probably need probate if:
- The person owned property (a house, flat or land)
- They had savings or investments above the bank's own limit for paying out without probate. Each bank sets its own limit
- They held shares, or Premium Bonds and other NS&I savings worth £5,000 or more in total
You may not need probate if:
- Everything was owned jointly and passes automatically to the surviving owner
- The estate is very small, below the bank's limit
- Everything was held in trust
When Probate Is Needed
| Probate Likely Needed | Probate May Not Be Needed |
|---|---|
| Property owned in the person's sole name or as tenants in common | All property held as joint tenants |
| Bank accounts above the bank's limit | Small bank balances below the bank's limit |
| Shares, investments, or Premium Bonds and other NS&I savings of £5,000 or more | Assets held in trust |
| Assets in the person's sole name | Joint accounts that pass to survivor |
| A complex estate or debts to settle | A simple estate with no property |
Getting help in Bridlington and East Yorkshire
Dealing with a bereavement in Bridlington, Driffield, Scarborough or anywhere in East Yorkshire? You do not have to work through this alone. Aaron is local, and he can visit you at home.
Aaron can handle the full probate process, from applying for the grant of probate to distributing the estate. Fees are fixed and agreed before any work starts.
You don't have to have all the answers right away. The most important thing is to take it one step at a time and ask for help when you need it.
Sources
The official pages behind the rules this guide explains. Each was checked on .
Written by Aaron Johnson, Consultant Solicitor and TEP · Law of England and Wales as at 20 March 2026 · Ends
