What Not to Do Immediately After Someone Dies
In the first days after someone dies, the biggest mistakes are acting too fast: do not give away or sell their possessions, empty their bank accounts, or distribute money before you have the legal authority to do so.
Until you know who the executor or administrator is, and whether probate is needed, nobody should be handing out belongings or transferring funds, even if the family agrees informally. If you distribute early and it turns out to be wrong, you can be held personally liable to put it right.
Do not throw away paperwork. Keep bank statements, pension and insurance documents, bills, and the will itself. Whoever administers the estate has to value everything accurately, and missing records cause real delays. For the same reason, do not assume Inheritance Tax is irrelevant just because the estate looks modest. The estate still has to be valued properly.
A few practical points. Do not cancel insurance on an empty property too quickly, because an unoccupied home often needs specific cover and the estate is at risk until it is sold or transferred. Do not delay registering the death, which in England and Wales should normally be done within 5 days, unless a coroner is involved. And do not assume all debts disappear, because the estate usually has to settle them before anyone inherits.
The safe order is to secure the property and paperwork, register the death, confirm who has authority, and only then begin dealing with the estate. For what comes next, see my guide on who can assist with probate.
Until you know who the executor or administrator is, and whether probate is needed, nobody should be handing out belongings or transferring funds, even if the family agrees informally. If you distribute early and it turns out to be wrong, you can be held personally liable to put it right.
Do not throw away paperwork. Keep bank statements, pension and insurance documents, bills, and the will itself. Whoever administers the estate has to value everything accurately, and missing records cause real delays. For the same reason, do not assume Inheritance Tax is irrelevant just because the estate looks modest. The estate still has to be valued properly.
A few practical points. Do not cancel insurance on an empty property too quickly, because an unoccupied home often needs specific cover and the estate is at risk until it is sold or transferred. Do not delay registering the death, which in England and Wales should normally be done within 5 days, unless a coroner is involved. And do not assume all debts disappear, because the estate usually has to settle them before anyone inherits.
The safe order is to secure the property and paperwork, register the death, confirm who has authority, and only then begin dealing with the estate. For what comes next, see my guide on who can assist with probate.