The death of a close family member or friend can be traumatic. If you suddenly find yourself responsible for sorting out somebody else's affairs the following may be helpful:-

1. The death needs to be registered by a person qualfied to do so within five days with the Registrar for the area where the death occurred. The local Council will be able to provide details of the local Registrar. You will need:-

2. Family and friends should be advised.

3. Try and establish whether or not a Will was left and if so, who was appointed the Executor (the person chosen by the deceased to carry out the terms of their Will). Notify the Executor of the death so that they can make the necessary funeral arrangements.

4. If no Will has been left or no Executor appointed, the next of kin would normally make the necessary funeral arrangements. If you are in any doubt as to whether you should be arranging the funeral, we recommend that you contact us for advice. The person arranging the funeral may be taking on liability for the cost of the funeral.

5. Any unoccupied property should be made secure and ensure the mains services are in order. Depending on the time of year, water may need to be turned off.

We can carry out all, or if you prefer some, of the above tasks.

What follows on depends on whether there was a Will or not and the nature and extent of the deceased's property. We suggest the Executor/Next of kin contacts us as soon as practical after the death for further advice.

If you need assistance contact one of our specialist Probate Department members.