What to Do After Someone Dies: First Steps

What are the first things to do when someone dies?

The very first step depends on where the person died. If they died at home, the usual course is to contact their GP; in a hospital or care home the staff will guide you. A doctor or nurse verifies the death, and a doctor completes a medical certificate of cause of death, which a medical examiner then reviews before the death can be registered (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change).

Verification. A doctor or nurse confirms the death; at home this often means calling the GP.

Medical certificate. A doctor completes the cause of death, reviewed by an independent medical examiner (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change).

Coroner. Some deaths are referred to a coroner, which can delay registration until enquiries finish (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change).

The will can wait. There is no need to look at money, property or the will in the first days.

Registering the death

Once the medical examiner has confirmed the cause of death, the death is registered at a register office. In England and Wales this generally must happen within 5 days, including weekends and bank holidays, unless a coroner is involved; in Scotland the period is 8 days (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Registering in the area where the person died usually means you are given the documents you need the same day.

At registration you receive a certificate for burial or cremation, often called the green form, which the funeral director needs before the funeral can go ahead, and you can buy copies of the death certificate for banks and other organisations (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change).

Telling government and other organisations

After registering, you need to tell government departments and then private organisations. The registrar usually offers the Tell Us Once service, which reports a death to most government organisations in one go, including HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions, the DVLA, the Passport Office and the local council, so you avoid contacting each separately (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change).

You are given a unique reference number and generally need to use the service within 28 days of receiving it (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Organisations outside government, such as banks, pension providers, employers and utility companies, need to be told separately.

Task	Timeframe (England & Wales)
Register the death	Within 5 days of the medical examiner confirming cause of death
Register the death (Scotland)	Within 8 days
Use the Tell Us Once reference	Within 28 days of receiving the reference number
Pay any inheritance tax	By the end of the sixth month after the person died

Task

Timeframe (England & Wales)

Within 5 days of the medical examiner confirming cause of death

Within 8 days

Use the Tell Us Once reference

Within 28 days of receiving the reference number

Pay any inheritance tax

By the end of the sixth month after the person died

Arranging the funeral

The funeral can be arranged once the death is registered and you have the certificate for burial or cremation. Many people check whether the person left funeral wishes in a will or a prepaid plan, and whether the estate or a funeral director can be paid from the deceased's bank account (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Banks will often release funds for a funeral bill before probate, though each has its own rules.

Dealing with the estate, probate and inheritance tax

Sorting out the estate, working out its value, applying for probate where needed, and settling any inheritance tax, comes after the funeral. Probate is not always required: where assets were held jointly as joint tenants they usually pass automatically to the survivor, and some estates that are small or simple can be dealt with without it (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Our guides on What Is Probate? and applying for probate cover this in detail.

A worked example (illustration only). Suppose a widower dies in March leaving a house held in his sole name, savings and a car, with a valid will naming his daughter as executor. She verifies and registers the death, uses Tell Us Once, then arranges the funeral. Because the house was in his sole name, she is likely to need probate before selling it (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). If any inheritance tax is due, it must generally be paid by the end of the sixth month after death, so by 30 September here, with interest charged on late payment (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Every estate differs, so this is general information rather than a calculation for any real estate.

On inheritance tax itself, the standard rate is 40%, charged only on the part of an estate above the available tax-free bands, with a nil-rate band of £325,000 per person and a residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000 where a home passes to descendants (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Transfers between spouses and civil partners are generally exempt, and unused bands can pass to the survivor, so a couple may pass on up to £1,000,000 in some cases (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Where any tax is due, it is generally payable by the end of the sixth month after death, with interest on late payment, and tax on property can often be paid in yearly instalments (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Where an estate is large or complex, many people choose to take advice from a solicitor, a STEP practitioner or an accountant.

What is different in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

The broad shape is similar across the UK, but the detail differs. In Scotland a death is generally registered within 8 days rather than 5, and the process of administering an estate is called confirmation rather than a grant of probate (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change; gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Northern Ireland has its own but broadly similar probate system. Inheritance tax is a UK-wide tax, so the same £325,000 nil-rate band and 40% rate apply across all four nations (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Where an estate touches more than one nation, it can be worth taking advice in each.

Frequently asked questions

What is the very first thing to do when someone dies?

The first step is to have the death verified by a doctor or nurse. If the person died at home, that often means contacting their GP; in a hospital or care home, staff will guide you. A doctor then completes a medical certificate of cause of death, which a medical examiner reviews before you can register the death (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change).

How long do you have to register a death in the UK?

In England and Wales a death is generally registered within 5 days once the medical examiner has confirmed the cause of death, unless a coroner is involved, which can extend matters. In Scotland the period is 8 days (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Registering where the person died usually means you receive the documents you need the same day.

What is the Tell Us Once service?

Tell Us Once lets you report a death to most government organisations in one contact, including HMRC, the DWP, the DVLA, the Passport Office and the local council. The registrar gives you a unique reference number, and you generally use the service within 28 days of receiving it (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Banks and other private organisations are told separately.

Do you always need probate when someone dies?

Not always. Where assets were held jointly as joint tenants, they usually pass automatically to the surviving owner, and some small or simple estates can be dealt with without a grant. Whether probate is needed depends on what the person owned and how (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Our guide to What Is Probate? explains when it applies.

How soon do you have to pay inheritance tax?

Where inheritance tax is due, it is generally payable by the end of the sixth month after the person died, and interest is charged on anything paid late. Tax on some assets, such as property, can often be paid in yearly instalments instead (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Many estates fall within the tax-free bands and pay nothing at all.

Do I need a solicitor to deal with a death?

Not for the first practical steps, which most families handle themselves using the register office and Tell Us Once. Where an estate is larger, involves a business or property, or the will is disputed, many people choose to take advice from a solicitor, a STEP practitioner or an accountant. It can be worth discussing the estate with a qualified professional before distributing anything.

About Fairchild Oldfield

The Fairchild Oldfield team brings together estate planning, tax, independent financial advice and client care, working with families across England and Wales.

Fairchild Oldfield are estate planning specialists and will writers, not a firm of solicitors. This article is general information based on practical experience, not legal, tax or financial advice.

Important: This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Reading it does not create a professional relationship. It is based on the law of England and Wales, and other UK jurisdictions may differ. Figures and rules are current as at July 2026 and are subject to change. Before acting, many people choose to seek advice from a suitably qualified professional, such as a solicitor, a STEP practitioner, an accountant, or an FCA-authorised financial adviser, who can consider your individual circumstances.