Estate Planning Checklist: Every Document Your Family Will Need

When a family member dies, the executor or next of kin needs to:

• Register the death (within 5 days in England and Wales, once the medical examiner's office confirms you can do so; within 8 days of the death in Scotland; and usually within 5 days in Northern Ireland)
• Arrange a funeral
• Apply for probate (or confirmation in Scotland)
• Notify banks, insurers, pension providers, HMRC, and the DWP
• Deal with property, vehicles, subscriptions, and digital accounts
• Distribute the estate according to the will (or intestacy rules if there is no will)

Each of these steps requires documents, reference numbers, or contact details. If those are scattered across filing cabinets, email accounts, and kitchen drawers, every step takes longer and feels harder than it needs to.

Getting organised while you have time is one of the most practical things you can do for the people you love.

A will is the single most important document in your estate plan. It tells your family who gets what, who is in charge of sorting everything out (your executor), and who looks after your children if they're under 18.

Without a will, everything is decided by intestacy rules, which follow a fixed legal formula. That formula does not account for unmarried partners, stepchildren, close friends, or charities you care about.

What a will covers:

• Who inherits your money, property, and belongings
• Who acts as executor (the person who manages your estate after you die)
• Who becomes guardian of your children under 18
• Any specific gifts (a piece of jewellery to a friend, a donation to a charity)
• Funeral wishes (though these are not legally binding)

Costs (indicative estimates, 2025/26; actual prices vary by provider and location):

"Complex" usually means there is a business, property abroad, a blended family, trusts, or inheritance tax planning involved.

Free options exist. Free Wills Month (usually March and October) offers free simple wills to people aged 55 and over. Will Aid runs in November with a suggested donation of £100 for a single will. Some charities offer free will writing year-round if you consider leaving them a gift in your will.

Jurisdiction differences:

In England and Wales, a will must be signed by you and witnessed by two people aged 18 or over. Neither witness (nor their spouse or civil partner) can be a beneficiary. The will must be in writing.

In Scotland, a will needs only one witness, who must be aged 16 or over. Scotland also has "legal rights," which means your spouse/civil partner and children are entitled to a share of your moveable estate (money, investments, belongings) regardless of what the will says. You cannot disinherit them from moveable property.

In Northern Ireland, the rules are similar to England and Wales: two witnesses aged 18 or over, neither of whom is a beneficiary.

Where to keep it:

• With your solicitor (many offer storage, though some charge a small fee)
• With HMCTS Probate Service in England and Wales, which currently charges a one-off £23 deposit fee
• In a fireproof safe at home (tell your executor where it is and where to find the key)
• Do not keep the original in a bank safe deposit box, as your family may not be able to access it until after probate

When to update it: Review your will after any major life event: marriage (which usually revokes an existing will in England and Wales), divorce, the birth of a child, buying property, or a significant change in your finances.

A will only takes effect after you die. A power of attorney covers what happens if you lose the ability to make decisions while you're still alive, for example through dementia, a stroke, or a serious accident.

Without one, your family would need to apply to the Court of Protection (England and Wales) or the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland) for authority to manage your finances or make health decisions. That process is slower, more expensive, and more stressful.

In England and Wales, there are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA):

1. Property and Financial Affairs LPA: Lets your attorney manage bank accounts, pay bills, sell property, and deal with investments. Can be used as soon as it is registered, even while you still have mental capacity (if you choose).
2. Health and Welfare LPA: Lets your attorney make decisions about medical treatment, care, and where you live. Can only be used when you lack capacity to decide for yourself.

In Scotland, the equivalent documents are Continuing Power of Attorney (financial matters) and Welfare Power of Attorney (health decisions). An LPA made in England may not be recognised in Scotland, and vice versa, because the forms, registration, and rules are different. If you have property or connections in both jurisdictions, you should take advice and will likely need separate documents in each.

In Northern Ireland, the system uses Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) for financial matters. There is currently no equivalent to the Health and Welfare LPA.

Costs:

In England and Wales, fee help may be available through exemption or remission for people receiving means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit.

When to set it up: While you are well and have full mental capacity. You cannot create a power of attorney after you have lost capacity.

A letter of wishes is not a legal document. It is a personal note to your executor, your family, or both, explaining things your will does not cover.

What to include:

• Why you made the decisions in your will (helpful if anyone is likely to challenge it)
• Funeral preferences (burial or cremation, music, readings, location)
• Wishes for personal belongings not specifically mentioned in the will
• Messages to family members
• Preferences for the care of any pets
• Passwords and digital account information (or a note about where to find them)
• Details of any prepaid funeral plan

A letter of wishes can be updated any time without the formality of changing your will. Keep it with your will or in a place your executor knows about.

An advance decision lets you refuse specific medical treatments in advance, in case you later lose the capacity to communicate your wishes.

In England and Wales, an advance decision is legally binding if it meets the requirements in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. If it covers life-sustaining treatment, it must be in writing, signed, witnessed, and include a statement that it applies even if your life is at risk.

In Scotland, there is no specific legislation governing advance decisions. However, they are recognised in common law and medical guidance, and healthcare professionals are expected to take them into account.

In Northern Ireland, advance decisions are generally treated as legally binding under common law if they are valid and applicable to the situation.

An advance decision is separate from a Health and Welfare LPA. You can have both. If they appear to conflict, the outcome depends on the exact wording, the dates they were made, and whether the LPA gives authority over life-sustaining treatment. Priority is not always obvious, so get legal advice if you have both documents and want to be sure they work together.

Cost: An advance decision can be written for free using online tools from organisations like Compassion in Dying. If you want a solicitor to prepare one, expect to pay £100–300.

Beyond the legal documents, your executor and family will need practical information. This is the part that most people forget.

Financial Details

• Bank accounts: Name of bank, sort code, account number
• Savings and ISAs: Provider, account numbers
• Pensions: Workplace and private pensions, provider names, policy numbers, nominated beneficiaries
• Life insurance: Provider, policy number, sum assured, whether it is written in trust
• Investments: Stocks, shares, unit trusts, investment platforms
• Debts: Mortgage provider and account number, credit cards, loans, hire purchase agreements
• Premium bonds: Holder's number (NS&I)

If a life insurance policy is "written in trust," it pays out directly to the named beneficiary and does not form part of the estate. This affects both inheritance tax and the probate process.

Property and Vehicles

• Property deeds: Where they are held (your solicitor, the Land Registry, Registers of Scotland, or at home)
• Mortgage details: Lender, account number, whether there is mortgage protection insurance
• Tenancy agreements: Landlord contact details, deposit scheme information
• Vehicle registration: V5C document location, any outstanding finance

Personal Reference Numbers

• National Insurance number
• NHS number (or CHI number in Scotland, Health and Care number in Northern Ireland)
• Passport number
• Driving licence number
• Council tax account number
• Tax reference (UTR if self-employed)

Subscriptions and Digital Accounts

• Email accounts (especially the main one, as password resets for other accounts will go there)
• Social media accounts (and your wishes for them: memorialise, delete, or leave)
• Streaming services, cloud storage, app subscriptions
• Online shopping accounts with stored payment details
• Domain names and websites
• Cryptocurrency wallets (if applicable: where the keys or seed phrases are stored)

For a more detailed look at managing digital accounts after a death, see our guide on digital legacy.

Service Providers and Contacts

• GP surgery and dentist
• Solicitor
• Accountant (if you have one)
• Financial adviser
• Employer (or business partners if self-employed)
• Funeral director (if you have a preference or prepaid plan)
• Insurance providers (home, car, travel, pet)
• Utility companies (gas, electric, water, broadband, mobile phone)

Some people call this a "death folder" or "in case of death file." The name does not matter. What matters is that it exists, it is up to date, and someone knows where it is.

What to put in it:

• A copy of your will (keep the original with your solicitor or in a safe)
• Your letter of wishes
• Your advance decision
• A copy of your LPA registration
• The financial, property, and reference number lists above
• Contact details for your solicitor, accountant, and financial adviser
• Life insurance and pension documents
• The login for your password manager (if you use one), or a note about how to access your key accounts

Where to keep it:

• A labelled folder in a filing cabinet or drawer at home
• A fireproof safe (tell someone the combination or key location)
• A digital copy in a secure cloud account (make sure your executor can access it)

Who to tell: At minimum, your executor and your spouse or partner should know the folder exists and where to find it. If you have set up a power of attorney, your attorney should know too. (Note: a power of attorney ends on death, so your attorney and executor are different roles, but both may need access to these documents at different times.)

A prepaid funeral plan lets you pay for your funeral in advance, either as a lump sum or in monthly instalments. Since July 2022, funeral plan providers have been regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which gives you stronger consumer protections and access to complaint and redress routes, including the Financial Ombudsman and, in some cases, the FSCS.

What a plan usually covers: the funeral director's fees, the coffin, care of the person who has died, transport, and the cremation or burial fee. What it usually does not cover: flowers, the wake, a headstone, death certificates, or fees for a church service.

Costs vary widely depending on the type of funeral and the provider. Plans for a direct cremation (no service, no mourners) typically cost around £1,500–2,000. Plans for a traditional attended funeral usually range from £3,500 to £5,000 or more. Monthly payment options are available from most providers.

If you have a prepaid plan, include the plan number, provider name, and contact details in your death folder. Your family needs to know it exists before they start arranging the funeral.

For more on funeral costs, see our guide on funeral costs in the UK.

Start here (an afternoon's work):

• Check whether you have a valid, up-to-date will
• Write down where the original will is stored
• List your bank accounts, pensions, and insurance policies
• Note your NI number, NHS number, and other reference numbers
• Tell one trusted person where this information is

Next steps (when you're ready):

• Set up a lasting power of attorney (or the equivalent in Scotland or Northern Ireland)
• Write a letter of wishes
• Create an advance decision if you have strong preferences about medical treatment
• Record your funeral wishes (whether or not you buy a prepaid plan)
• List your digital accounts and how to access them
• Put everything in one folder and tell your executor where it is

Review regularly:

• After any major life event (marriage, divorce, birth, house move)
• When you change bank or insurer
• Every 3–5 years as a general check

AfterLoss has a planning ahead mode that lets you review every step your family will need to take, organised across five phases, at your own pace. There are no deadlines and no time pressure. You can store key reference numbers and documents, invite family members to see the plan, and when the time comes, transition to the full guided bereavement journey with one click.

Everything you prepare in planning mode carries over.

Start planning at afterloss.uk