Losing someone you love is very hard. Along with your grief, there are lots of important tasks you need to handle. Let’s look at five key steps to take after someone dies.
1. Register the death
Within five days, a close family member must register the death in the area in which the person died. You will be given a death certificate, which you will need for many things later. This paper proves that the person has died when you are dealing with banks and other organisations.
2. Tell the government offices
You can use a service called Tell Us Once if the person lived in England, Scotland, or Wales, which lets you inform most government departments in one go. You will need the reference number from when you registered the death. This service notifies tax offices, benefits agencies, passport services, and the local council. Remember that you will still need to contact banks, mortgage companies, and utility providers.
3. Find the will
A will is an important document that says what should happen to the person’s money and belongings. Some people keep their will with a London law firm such as https://www.forsters.co.uk. Finding this document helps everyone know what the person wanted to happen after their death.
4. Plan the funeral
After registering the death, you can start planning the funeral. You might want to do this yourself or use a funeral director. People sometimes leave instructions about their funeral wishes in their will, or they may have told family members what they wanted.
5. Handle the estate
The executor named in the will is responsible for dealing with the person’s money and property. This might involve applying for probate, which gives legal permission to handle these matters. The executor collects any money owed to the person, pays any debts they had, and shares out what is left according to the will. Many people obtain help from a solicitor with this step, as it can be complicated.
Taking these steps one at a time can help make a difficult situation a little easier to manage.
