What to do when someone dies.

The essential first steps: from getting the medical certificate to securing the home. A plain-English overview of everything in the right order.

Every legal and financial term you might encounter after a death, explained in plain English. No jargon in the definitions.

What to bring, where to go, and the 5-day deadline (8 days in Scotland). Includes what happens at the registrar appointment.

What funerals actually cost in 2026, how to reduce costs, direct cremation, and help with funeral expenses.

Medical certificate vs death certificate: the difference matters. How many to order, what they cost, and who needs originals.

Step-by-step guide to arranging a funeral: choosing a funeral director, burial vs cremation, ceremony options, and realistic costs for 2026.

Where to publish a death notice, what to include, costs, wording templates, and the Gazette notice that protects executors from unknown creditors.

Repatriating a loved one from abroad: consulate help, costs, local and UK registration, and what to expect at each stage.

How Muslim funerals work in the UK. Covers ghusl, janazah prayer, burial customs, costs, timing, and what non-Muslim family members or executors need to know.

How Jewish funerals work in the UK. Covers tahara, chevra kadisha, burial within 24 hours, Shabbat timing, denominational differences, shiva, and costs.

How Hindu funerals work in the UK. Covers antyesti, cremation, witness charging, mukhagni, asthi visarjan, 13-day mourning, regional differences, and costs.

How Sikh funerals work in the UK. Covers Antam Sanskar, cremation, Akhand Path, Sehaj Path, Bhog, what happens with the ashes, and costs.

What happens when someone dies in a care home: the Medical Examiner system, registration, collecting belongings, fees, and what families need to do.

One call to notify DWP, HMRC, DVLA, Passport Office, and your council. What it covers, what it doesn’t, and how to use it.

Class F exemption for empty properties, single person discount, and how to transfer or cancel council tax.

DVLA notification, V5C logbook, SORN, selling, scrapping, and claiming back road tax.

Which benefits stop, how DWP claws back overpayments, and the benefits you might now be entitled to yourself.

£3,500 lump sum plus monthly payments. Who qualifies, how to claim, and the 21-month deadline.

How to notify each bank, what they freeze, probate thresholds by bank, and getting funds released for funeral costs.

How much can you access from a bank account without probate? Compare thresholds for 15 major UK banks including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, and more.

DWP help with funeral costs if you’re on qualifying benefits. Form SF200, what’s covered, and the 6-month deadline.

State Pension, workplace pensions, the age-75 tax cliff, and how to trace lost pensions.

Joint tenants vs tenants in common, notifying the lender, mortgage protection insurance, and what happens during probate.

Finding policies, trust vs non-trust, the claims process step by step, and typical payout timescales.

You do not inherit personal debts. How the estate pays debts in priority order, joint debts, and what to do about debt collectors.

Who pays care home fees when someone dies, how Deferred Payment Agreements work, and how to make a retrospective NHS Continuing Healthcare claim.

The full probate application process: forms, fees (£300), timelines, and what to do while you wait.

Not every estate needs probate. Check bank thresholds, joint ownership rules, and the decision flowchart.

Nil-rate bands, residence relief, spouse exemptions, and the IHT-before-probate catch. Plain English, real numbers.

What happens when there’s no will. Spouse rights, children’s shares, and why common-law partners get nothing.

What does an executor do? Your complete guide to executor duties, personal liability, timeline, and step-by-step estate administration across the UK.

Scotland uses Confirmation, not Probate. Different courts, different forms, different costs. The full Scottish process.

Unmarried partners have almost no automatic inheritance rights in the UK. What the law actually says, what you can do about it, and how to protect yourself.

A practical UK estate planning checklist covering wills, power of attorney, funeral wishes and more, with costs and jurisdiction differences.

How to make a will in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Costs, legal requirements, and what happens if you die without one.

Compare the costs of DIY wills, online services, and solicitor-drafted wills in the UK. Understand when to use each option.

When someone dies without a will, the next of kin applies for letters of administration. Who can apply, the forms and fees, and how the process differs across the UK.

A neutral comparison of doing probate yourself versus using a solicitor in the UK. Court fees, professional pricing, the risks, and how to decide which route fits your estate.

How to appoint a legal guardian for your children if you die. What happens if you don’t, who can be a guardian, and how to make the right choice.

Discover safe storage options for wills and important documents in the UK, from Probate Registry to solicitors. Keep your will where it will be found.

How to set up a lasting power of attorney in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Types, costs, and step-by-step process.

A practical guide to prepaid funeral plans in the UK. What they cover, what they cost, FCA regulation, and how to choose one.

What advance decisions are, how they work, and what you need to know about living wills in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

How to plan your own funeral and record your wishes so your family knows what matters to you.

From April 2027, unused pension funds count towards inheritance tax. What is changing, who is affected, and what families and executors need to do.

A practical UK guide to advance care planning, DNACPR, ReSPECT forms, choosing where to be cared for, benefits, and having the conversation.

How to find and get a copy of someone's will in the UK, before and after probate, covering England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

When executors and administrators can be personally liable for estate mistakes, how to protect yourself, and the steps that keep most personal representatives safe.

Sole traders, partnerships, and limited companies on the death of an owner. Who can act, employees, debts, Business Property Relief, and the 2026 IHT changes.

A practical guide to IHT planning ahead of the April 2027 pension changes. Allowances, the spouse exemption, gifting rules, and what to review now.

Phones, laptops, social media, email, crypto: what to do with someone’s digital life after they die. Platform-by-platform guide with the 2025 law change explained.

Royal Mail redirect, the Bereavement Register, and why redirecting post catches things you’d otherwise miss.

Sorting clothes, jewellery, and personal items after someone dies. Legal ownership, family disagreements, and when you are ready.

No statutory paid bereavement leave exists (with one exception). Jack’s Law, time off for dependants, and how to request leave from your employer.

Gas, electricity, water, broadband, mobile: how to close or transfer each account, who pays the final bill, and bereavement contact numbers.

Water cremation is now legal in Scotland. What it is, how it works, what it costs, and when it will be available across the UK.

Who has the legal right to decide about burial or cremation, what happens when families disagree, and the rules on ashes, graves, and exhumation.

A practical UK guide to caring for pets after an owner dies. Covers legal responsibility, rehoming, charities that help, microchip transfers, and planning ahead.

How to memorialise or close Facebook, Instagram, Apple, Google and other accounts after someone dies. Legal position and platform-by-platform process.

Natural and woodland burial in the UK: how a green burial works, the rules on coffins and embalming, costs, and how the law differs across the four nations.

When a tenant dies, who can stay, who can take over the tenancy, and who pays the rent. Succession rights and the steps to end a tenancy across the UK.