When someone dies, there's so much to do

Contact a funeral director; they can collect the person and guide you through immediate next steps. You'll also need to register the death (usually within 5 days in England and Wales) and start notifying key organisations. Our step-by-step guide walks you through exactly what to do and when, so nothing gets missed.

Not always. Probate is usually needed when the person who died owned property, had savings above certain thresholds (which vary by bank), or held investments. Many banks will release small balances without probate; our bank probate thresholds guide lists the limits for 15 major UK banks. If the estate is straightforward and held jointly, you may not need it at all.

AfterLoss is a web app that helps UK families in two ways: it guides you through everything that needs to happen after someone dies (registering the death, closing accounts, applying for probate), and it lets you plan your own funeral and end-of-life wishes in advance. Either way, it creates a personalised checklist, tracks your progress, and lets you share tasks with family members.

Yes. When you sign up, you can choose 'I'm planning ahead' instead of 'Someone has passed away'. You'll see the same comprehensive checklist across five phases, but without any deadlines or time pressure. You can review what needs to happen, gather documents and reference numbers, store key details, and invite family members so everyone knows the plan. When the time comes, you can transition to the full bereavement journey with one click, and everything you've prepared carries over.

Afterloss is currently free of charge for early users. As the site grows, we expect to have to cover costs, so will be implementing a charge at that point. In the meantime, rest assured you will not be charged if you register now.

Yes. Bereavement law differs across the UK. Scotland uses 'confirmation' rather than probate, and Northern Ireland has its own grant of representation process. AfterLoss detects your jurisdiction and tailors your checklist, guidance, and legal references accordingly.

Tell Us Once is a free government service that notifies HMRC, DWP, the Passport Office, DVLA, and local council services of a death in a single call. However, it doesn't cover banks, building societies, pension providers, insurers, utility companies, or subscriptions. You still need to contact those individually. AfterLoss helps you track all of these.

Yes. AfterLoss lets you invite family members or co-executors to collaborate on the same case. Each person can see the task list, update progress, and add notes, so nobody's duplicating work or missing something important.

No. AfterLoss helps you understand what needs to happen and tracks your progress, but it's not a substitute for legal advice. Our guides explain when you're likely to need a solicitor (for example, if there's a dispute, a complex trust, or overseas assets) and we'd always recommend getting professional advice if you're unsure.