Death admin is shorthand for all the practical, financial and legal tasks that follow a bereavement: registering the death, notifying providers, applying for probate, paying debts and distributing the estate. For most UK estates it takes 6–12 months.

How long does death admin take in the UK?

Most UK estates take 6–12 months from start to finish. Registration, Tell Us Once and notifying providers usually take a few weeks; probate adds 16+ weeks; selling a property adds more.

What is the order of admin after a death?

Verify the death, contact a funeral director, register the death, Tell Us Once, inform banks and organisations, value the estate, apply for probate if needed, pay debts and tax, distribute to beneficiaries.

Death admin checklist UK, what to do, week by week

First 24 hours

Day 1

Have the death verified by a medical professional
Contact a funeral director
Tell close family and the employer
Locate the will, passport, bank cards and key documents
Secure the home, pets and any dependants

First week

Days 2–7

Register the death (England and Wales: 5 days from the medical examiner's call. Scotland: 8 days from the death. Northern Ireland: 5 days from the death) Open guide
Order several certified copies of the death certificate
Start Tell Us Once at the register office Open guide
Inform the employer formally and ask about death-in-service
Inform the landlord or buildings insurer if the property will sit empty

First month

Weeks 2–4

Use the Death Notification Service for member banks
Inform other banks, building societies and credit cards Open guide
Inform pension schemes (state + workplace + private)
Inform utilities, broadband, phone, TV
Inform insurers (life, home, car, pet, travel)
Cancel subscriptions (streaming, gym, magazines)
Check eligibility for Bereavement Support Payment Open guide
Apply for Funeral Expenses Payment if eligible

Months 2–6

First half year

Identify the executor or administrator
Value the estate, assets and debts
Decide whether probate or Confirmation is needed Open guide
Complete the inheritance tax form (even if no tax is due) Open guide
Apply for the grant of probate or Confirmation
Collect assets once the grant is issued
Sell the property if needed

Months 6–12

Second half year

Pay debts and any inheritance tax
Distribute the estate to the beneficiaries
Close the executor's bank account
Keep records for at least 12 years in case HMRC queries the estate
Update your own will if your circumstances have changed

Death admin checklist, week by week

Short answer

First 24 hours

First week

First month

Months 2–6

Months 6–12

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Related guides

What to do when someone dies

Tell Us Once explained

Closing accounts after death

Bereavement financial help