Dealing with death: what to do in the initial weeks after someone has died
Dealing with someone’s affairs after death can be a daunting task, both practically and emotionally. Unravelling a lifetime’s worth of information might seem overwhelming – but it doesn’t all need to happen immediately. This practical help-sheet is aimed at anyone who has recently lost a loved one, or an executor named in a Will. There are some tasks that will require immediate action, but the majority of the work can wait, at least for a short while.
What to do when someone dies:
Day 1-5
Obtain the medical cause of death certificate
If the deceased died at home, call their GP or the NHS helpline. If the deceased died in hospital they will help with the process. You will need the certificate to proceed to the next step.
If the Coroner needs to get involved, they will either decide that no inquest is necessary and issue a medical certificate, or an inquest will be scheduled. In this case the Coroner can be asked to issue an interim death certificate, which can be converted to a full death certificate after the hearing.
Register the death
In England & Wales the death must be registered within five days (subject to above) at the Register Office closest to where the person died.
The person registering the death should either be a relative, someone present at the death, or someone who is arranging the funeral (i.e. an executor). Take the medical certificate with you, the deceased’s NHS number, NI number, and your own ID.
They will give you a death certificate and a green form which needs to go to the funeral director. Keep the receipt for the death certificate cost and any other out of pocket expenses.
Use the ‘Tell Us Once’ service, which notifies all Government organisations. You should complete this as soon as possible (asap).
Locate the Will (Original or copy)
At this stage, mainly just to ascertain who the executor is and look at funeral wishes. If there is anything in the Will that you are unsure about, contact a solicitor.
Secure the home
If the person lived alone, take all the steps you would take if you were leaving your house unattended. Lock doors and windows, let the neighbours know, set alarms and keep the heating on low in the winter. Make provision for any pets, where relevant.
Building Insurance
Make sure that the building and contents are insured. Notify the insurance company that the property owner has died straight away. If no insurance is in place, call your solicitor asap for advice.
Day 5-10
Arrange the funeral
This is an important step, and you should concentrate on giving your loved one the send off they deserve. A funeral director can help you, or you can make arrangements yourself via your council or crematorium.
In some faiths, the religious community will manage the process, and the funeral will take place in the first few days after death.
Keep receipts for all out of pocket expenses incurred for the funeral, including wake costs, meal costs, travel costs, and flowers.
If you are unsure about funeral wishes contact the solicitor who is holding the Will or consult a copy of the Will, if you have one. Wishes might be in a side letter.
Day 10 onwards
After the funeral
It is usually fine to wait until after the funeral to think about paperwork and legal administration (subject to there being any urgent issues as per below).
Arrange to meet a solicitor if you think you will require help. An initial meeting could be useful. Where an estate is taxable, inheritance tax will need to be paid within six months of death, so meet with a solicitor in the first month.
Start to collect together any relevant paperwork. One piece of correspondence from each organisation is fine. Your solicitor should be able to tell you what to look for.
Urgent issues that may need immediate attention
- House/car keys – If any third party has keys to the house or a car, ask them to return them. This could include cleaners, gardeners, family members or friends. If anyone else regularly drove the deceased’s car, ask them to stop. They may no longer be insured. If you are concerned about who may have access to the house, then change the locks.
- Valuable possessions/cash – If the property will be empty and contains valuable items or cash, consider removing them for protection, if you are the executor. Contact the contents insurer first, and let them know the items have been removed. For extremely valuable items, contact your solicitor for advice, or consider using a secure storage company.
- Family members/others creating problems – If any family members or other individuals are not executors and are causing issues, asking questions about inheritance, have taken items from the house, or are generally making life for the executors difficult, then meet with a solicitor as soon as possible. Ideally this should be a firm that is experienced at dealing with contentious probate as well as probate administration. You are not required to give out any details in the Will to anyone, at this stage.
Look after yourself
Clearly this will be a very sad, stressful and difficult time for everyone close to the deceased, but especially for the executors, who will feel the additional pressure to deal with the estate. If you are struggling, contact a solicitor who can take on some of the burden. If you need to, contact a bereavement organisation like Cruse Bereavement Centre or the Samaritans for emotional support.
Daniel Church is a Partner in the Private Client team at Blake Morgan. If you require any support relating to an estate administration, please contact Daniel or a member of our team.
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