What to do first after someone dies (Under construction)

Last updated- April 2026- England & Wales

A practical first-steps guide for family, friends, executors and would-be administrators in England and Wales.

If someone has just died, you may not yet know whether there is a Will, whether probate will be needed, or even whether you are the right person to deal with the estate. This page is here to help you get your bearings, avoid a few common mistakes, and work out the next sensible step.

Many people only contact us once things are already becoming messy: the Will cannot be found, no Will was made, nobody is sure who has authority, or the paperwork is becoming overwhelming. This guide is here to help before that happens.

This is general information only. It is not a full probate guide or personal legal advice.

which situation fits best?

1. A Will has been found

2. Can’t find the Will

3. There may be no Will

Do these first, whichever route you are in

• Register the death.
• Use Tell Us Once where available.
• Secure the home, keys, paperwork and valuables.
• Tell the right organisations outside government, such as banks, insurers, utility companies and pension providers.
• Keep notes, dates, names and receipts from the start.
• Do not use the deceased’s sole-account debit card, PIN or online banking just because you know them.
• Do not start distributing money or possessions early because you think you know what the Will says.

It is easy to feel that everything has to be done immediately. It does not. The first job is to get organised, protect the estate, and work out who actually has authority to act.

Before you call us, it helps to know

• Full name of the person who has died
• Date of death
• Your relationship to them
• Whether a Will has been found
• If not, who the closest relatives are
• Whether there is a property, and whether anyone is living there
• Whether anything urgent needs dealing with now
• A rough idea of the main assets, debts and paperwork

A Will has been found

If the signed original Will has been found, that is a strong start.

Your next priorities are usually:

• Check who is named as executor
• Keep the original safe and do not remove staples or marks
• Register the death and use Tell Us Once
• Make a rough list of the main assets, debts and organisations involved
• Secure any empty property and make sure insurers are told if the home is vacant
• Keep a written record of what has been done and what still needs doing

Even with a Will, things can still become time-consuming where there is property, inheritance tax paperwork, several institutions to deal with, pressure on the executor’s time, or family tension.

If you want help with some or all of the administration while still staying in control, see our Probate (Executor Support).

Can’t find the Will

This is one of the most common ways an estate becomes delayed, more stressful, and more expensive than the family expected.GOV.UK says the original Will is needed for the probate application and a photocopy cannot normally be used instead. If the original has been lost, extra evidence may be needed and form PA13 may apply for some applicants. That can be manageable, but it is not something families usually want to discover at the worst possible time. If you think there is a Will but you cannot find it, try this first:

• Search the home carefully for the original, any copy, and any clue to where it was stored
• Check drawers, filing cabinets, lockable boxes, safe custody packets, old letters, and paperwork from solicitors or will writers
• Ask close family whether they were ever told who prepared it or where it was kept
• Check whether the person used a solicitor, will writer, accountant or storage service
• Check whether the Will may have been stored with the Probate Registry
• Do not assume there was no Will just because it is not immediately obvious

If you have searched the house, asked the family, and still cannot find the signed original, contact us before anyone assumes the estate must simply be handled as though there were no Will.

This is exactly the sort of situation where Probate (Executor Support) can save time, reduce guesswork, and help you take the next step properly.

There may be no Will

If no Will has been found, the estate may need to be handled under the intestacy rules.

That does not mean the most organised person can simply step in.

Where there is no Will, the person with priority normally applies to become the administrator of the estate. In many families, that will be the spouse or civil partner first, followed by adult children. A friend, sibling or neighbour may be very helpful in practice, but that does not automatically mean they have priority to apply. Your first priorities are usually:

• Register the death and use Tell Us Once
• Work out who the closest entitled relatives are
• Secure the home, paperwork and valuables
• Make a rough list of the assets, debts and key organisations
• Avoid making promises about who will inherit or who will “be the executor”
• Get help early if there is uncertainty, tension or a practical vacuum

If you are not sure who has priority, or the people with priority do not feel able to deal with things properly, contact us before assumptions harden into mistakes.

If the estate already feels daunting, see our Probate (Executor Support).

A few common pressure points

You do not always need paid support. Some very small or simple estates can be handled personally.

Support is often most useful where there is:

• A missing Will
• No Will
• Property to secure, insure or sell
• Several banks or institutions to deal with
• Tax forms or valuations to prepare
• Pressure on the executor’s time
• Family disagreement
• Uncertainty about who has authority
• A wish to reduce delay and avoid avoidable mistakes

If that sounds familiar, Probate (Executor Support) may be the sensible middle ground.

If you want our help, gather these details first

• Full name of the deceased
• Date of death
• Last address
• Your relationship to the deceased
• Will found: yes / no / not sure
• If no Will, who are the closest relatives
• Property involved: yes / no
• Is anyone living there
• Any urgency: empty property, funeral funding, bank access, family disagreement, business interests, tax worries
• Rough list of known assets and debts
• Any paperwork already found
• Whether anyone else is already acting, or believes they are entitled to act

A practical note about banks and funeral costs

Tell Us Once does not notify banks, mortgage lenders, insurers, utility providers or most private pension schemes for you. Those still need separate contact. Banks usually freeze sole accounts once they are told about the death. It is not a good idea to use the deceased’s debit card or online banking even if you know the details. In some cases, a bank may pay funeral costs directly from the deceased’s account if given the death certificate and the funeral invoice.

Need help with this estate now?

If you are facing a missing Will, no Will, uncertainty, pressure, property, paperwork or family complications, you do not have to carry the whole process alone.

See Probate (Executor Support) for practical step-by-step help while you stay in control.

You may also find these helpful:

• Choosing an Executor: what they do and how to pick the right one
• Tips For The Reluctant Executor

Make sure your own Will can be found later

Many families only discover the weakness in an estate plan when someone dies and the original Will cannot be found.

Having a Will is not enough. It also needs to be current, signed properly, and actually findable when your family needs it.GOV.UK requires the original Will for the probate application. A photocopy cannot normally be used in the usual way. If the original has been lost, extra evidence may be needed, which can add delay, stress and cost at exactly the wrong time. Once this immediate situation is under control, make sure your own affairs are easier for your family:

• Check that your Will is up to date
• Check that the signed original can actually be found
• Make sure the right people know where it is stored
• Review whether your Will and LPAs still work as intended
• Consider secure storage before a future problem becomes your family’s problem

Fern can store original Wills and related documents even if they were not written by us. See Document Storage for more. If you also want a practical review of whether your documents are still fit for purpose, see our Will & LPA MOT