Guides &amp; Resources

What to do when someone dies in the UK: a step-by-step guide

This guide covers the first hours, the first 2 weeks and the first 6 months in England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland noted at each step.

How much does a funeral cost in the UK?

This guide breaks down funeral costs by type of funeral and by region, explains what drives the bill, and covers the help available, including the Funeral Expenses Payment and paying from the estate.

7 min read

First Month

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How to find a will in the UK when you cannot find the original

This guide sets out the search order, what each step costs and how long it takes, how to retrieve a will deposited with the court, and what happens when the original is lost or only a photocopy survives.

9 min read

How to notify HMRC after a death: what Tell Us Once covers and what it does not

This guide covers how the notification reaches HMRC, when you need to contact HMRC separately, and what the executor still has to do once HMRC has been told.

How to cancel a deceased person's subscriptions and digital accounts

This guide covers the order to work through the list, what Netflix, Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn each need, and what to do about shared plans.

9 min read

Funeral Planning

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Who pays for a funeral if there's no money?

This guide covers who is legally liable for the bill, what the estate can release, what the Department for Work and Pensions pays, and what a public health funeral involves.

7 min read

How to write a eulogy

This guide covers what a eulogy is, how long it should be, the structure that works, a worked example and what to leave out. It is written for someone doing this for the first time, while grieving.

How long after death is a funeral in the UK?

This guide explains what drives the timeline, what can delay a funeral, how cremation and burial timings compare, and the realistic upper limit if you need longer.

7 min read

Managing the Estate

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Unclaimed money from deceased relatives UK: where to search

This guide is the map. It covers every route for finding a dead relative's money, what each covers, and which ones charge.

9 min read

Managing the Estate

Estate accounts: what executors must prepare and how to do it

This guide covers whether estate accounts are legally required, who can see them, what they must contain, how to produce a set without a solicitor, whether beneficiaries must sign, what happens if one refuses, and how the accounts protect you.

Managing the Estate

Defined contribution pensions and inheritance tax: what changes from 6 April 2027

This guide covers cash ISAs, stocks and shares ISAs, Innovative Finance ISAs and Lifetime ISAs. It explains what the executor does, what a surviving spouse can claim, and how inheritance tax applies. Junior ISAs are covered further down.