What to Do When Someone Dies Guide

What to Do When Someone Dies Guide. When someone close to you dies, it can feel overwhelming to know what to do first. The hours and days that follow may involve a mixture of practical tasks, legal requirements, and emotional decisions — all at a time when you may be in shock or deep grief.

This guide is designed to help you understand each step clearly, using guidance and simple language so you know what must happen and when. It follows the official process set out on Gov.uk available Welsh (Cymraeg) guide.

Step-by-Step Summary Checklist:

Here is a simple overview to make things easier:

1. Get a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death

2. Register the death within 5 days (8 in Scotland)

3. Use the Tell Us Once service

4. Secure the home, pets, and important documents

5. Find the will and identify the executor

6. Arrange the funeral (traditional, cremation, or natural burial)

7. Complete any funeral paperwork

8. Begin dealing with the estate and finances

9. Seek support if you feel you need it

The first step is to obtain the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
This document confirms how the person died and is essential for registering the death.

Depending on where the person died:

If they died at home

• Call the GP or the NHS helpline (111).

• A doctor will need to visit to confirm the death and issue the certificate.

If the person died in a hospital or hospice

• The staff will arrange the certificate for you.

• You will be told when and where to collect it.

If the death was unexpected

A doctor may not be able to issue the certificate, and the death may be referred to:

• a coroner (England, Wales, Northern Ireland), or

• a procurator fiscal (Scotland).

This doesn’t always mean something suspicious has happened — sometimes deaths must be investigated when the cause is unclear.

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the death must be registered within 5 days.
In Scotland, you have 8 days.

You must register the death at the local register office for the area where the person died. Many offices require an appointment.

What you’ll need to take

• The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death

• The person’s documents (if available), such as:

  • Birth certificate

  • NHS number

  • Council tax bill or utility bill

  • Driving licence

  • Passport

What you’ll receive

When the death is registered, the registrar will give you:

• A Death Certificate (you can buy extra copies)

• A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (commonly known as the “green form”)

• Sometimes a BD8 form for notifying government departments

This green form is needed by the burial ground or crematorium before a funeral can take place.

After registering the death, you can begin arranging the funeral.
Some people leave a funeral plan or express their wishes in advance; others do not.

You can:

• Hire a funeral director, or

• Arrange the funeral yourself (DIY Funeral legal in the UK)

Funeral choices include:

• A traditional burial

• Cremation

• A natural burial or woodland burial

• Direct cremation (no service)

• Aquamation

• Home Burial on private land

If choosing a natural burial, the burial ground will ask for:

• A copy of the death certificate

• The “green form” from the registrar

• Any additional paperwork required for environmentally friendly burial options

To explore natural burial options, you can link to your directory pages.

Find out if the person left a will, which may contain important instructions such as:

• Preferred funeral arrangements

• Executor(s) responsible for dealing with the estate

If there is a will

The named executor(s) handle the person’s affairs.

If there is no will

The person is said to have died intestate, and the closest relative usually administers the estate.

There are often small but important tasks that need attention, such as:

• Making sure the person’s home is secure

• Caring for pets

• Redirecting post

• Cancelling appointments or services

• Preserving any valuables or essential documents

These tasks can be split among family members to reduce stress.

Depending on the type of funeral, you may need paperwork such as:

• The green form (Certificate for Burial or Cremation)

• Cremation paperwork (if choosing cremation)

• Burial ground or cemetery forms

• Forms required by a natural burial ground

A funeral director can guide you, but you can also do this independently.

Settling the estate involves:

• Closing bank accounts

• Notifying utility companies

• Stopping pensions and benefits

• Passing on property or finances according to the will (or intestacy rules)

You may need probate — the legal process of managing the estate.
Not all estates require probate; it depends on assets and circumstances.

Applying for probate. 

Losing someone can be deeply painful, and support varies from person to person.
Charities such as Cruse Bereavement Support, Marie Curie, and local hospices offer free services.

Grief is different for everyone — reaching out for support is an important and healthy step.

• NHS: Coping with bereavement
• Cruse Bereavement Support
• National Bereavement Service
• The Good Grief Trust