Personal

Documents Needed to Register a Death

SOLVING PERSONAL LEGAL MATTERS

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What documents do you need to register a death?

If you are an Executor appointed in the Will of the person who has died, or the person is intestate and you are entitled to be appointed an administrator, then in the months following the death you will be involved in the administration of the estate.

Whether or not the personal representatives of the person who has died choose to have solicitors helping them with the process, their first task is to assemble as much information as possible relating to the person's assets and debts.

The personal representatives may ask for your help in assembling the information, even if you are not a personal representative yourself. Bear in mind that if the person who has died had a computer, he or she may have kept records in electronic form and received bank statements and bills through the internet. If you can find the relevant files on the person's computer, print them. If you cannot find them (for example, because you do not know the password of the person who has died), simply explain the situation to the personal representatives or their solicitors.

Information to keep at hand

It is useful to note down the following information and keep it to hand, whether you are an executor or helping with the practical arrangements following the death:

Full name of the person who has died and any former names
Address at death
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of marriage or civil partnership
National Insurance number
NHS number
Tax reference

Documents to look for immediately after the death

If the person who has died was living alone in a private home, someone should go to the home on the day of the death to look for papers relating to insurance of the person's home and its contents, preferably the home and contents policy itself.

If you believe that the person who has died wanted to donate organs for transplant or to donate his or her body for medical research, also look for:

An organ donor card
A consent form

Documents to look for before registering the death

The following papers contain information needed for registering the death:

Birth certificate
Marriage or civil partnership certificate
Death certificate of former wife, husband or civil partner
State pension or allowance book
Passport.

Even if you cannot find these papers, you can register the death if you have all the necessary information. Find out more about registering a death here.

Documents to look for before the funeral

It is desirable to find the following documents before the funeral, but the funeral can go ahead even if you do not have them:

The most recent Will of the person who has died, or a copy of it
Any note saying what kind of funeral the person wanted
Papers relating to life insurance or pension arrangements.

Documents to look for as soon as possible

As soon as possible after the death, but not necessarily before the funeral, find up-to-date papers and information relating to as many of the following as are relevant:

Current bank or building society account
Employer
Rental agreement
Driving licence and vehicle registration
Suppliers of gas, electricity and water
Broadband, phone and satellite TV providers
Television licence
Council Tax
Other service providers, such as cleaners and gardeners.

Documents to look for before meeting solicitors

The personal representatives will need papers containing up-to-date information about the following to enable them, or their solicitors, to start on the administration of the estate:

Bank and building society accounts of the person who has died
Insurance policies
Property deeds
Share certificates, dividend vouchers and other papers relating to shareholdings
Statements relating to savings and investments
Valuations, for example of jewellery, paintings or furniture
Credit card statements
Personal loan agreements
Hire purchase agreements
Mortgages
Recent tax returns
PAYE P60 and recent payslips
Unpaid invoices addressed to the person who has died
Unpaid invoices issued by the person who has died.