What To Do When Someone Dies – A Step-by-Step Guide

Losing someone you love is never easy. Whether their passing was expected or sudden, it’s a deeply emotional time. While dealing with grief, it can also be hard to know what to do first or who to call. At Hadaway & Denton, we’re here to gently guide you through what needs to happen next. This step-by-step guide explains the key things you need to do when someone dies, and how we can support you every step of the way. This blog focuses on the first few steps that need your attention straight away and also touches on the wider arrangements that follow. We hope it gives you clarity and comfort during this difficult time.

Step 1: Getting a Medical Certificate

The first thing that needs to happen after someone has died is getting the death medically confirmed. If your loved one passed away at home and their death was expected, the GP or an out-of-hours doctor should be contacted as soon as possible. They’ll come to the home and officially confirm the death. Once this is done, the doctor will issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, often referred to as the MCCD.

If the person died in hospital or in a care home, the staff there will usually take care of this for you. In some situations – such as when the death is unexpected, sudden, or the cause isn’t immediately clear – the doctor may refer the case to the Coroner. If this happens, try not to worry. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything suspicious has occurred; it just means the death needs to be looked into further before a certificate can be issued.

Once the Medical Certificate is available, you’ll be able to move to the next stage, which is registering the death.

Step 2: Registering the Death

Registering the death is a legal requirement and should be done within five days, including weekends. You’ll need to contact the Register Office in the district where the person passed away. It’s usually best to make an appointment first, and your funeral director can often help you with this.

When you go to register the death, you’ll be asked to bring the Medical Certificate along with some basic details about the person who has died, such as their full name, date of birth, last address, occupation, and the details of their spouse or civil partner if they had one. If you have documents like their passport, birth certificate or marriage certificate, these can help but aren’t always necessary.

At the appointment, the registrar will give you the official death certificate (you can request extra copies for things like banks and solicitors), as well as a form known as the ‘green form’. This form is important – it gives permission for the burial or cremation to go ahead and will need to be passed to your chosen funeral director.

You’ll also be given a unique code for the “Tell Us Once” service. This helps you notify various government departments (like HMRC, the Passport Office and the DVLA) in one go. It can save a lot of time later on.

Step 3: Making Funeral Arrangements

Once the death has been registered, the funeral can begin to be arranged. You might already know what kind of funeral your loved one wanted – they may have left written wishes or discussed it with you. Some people also have a pre-paid funeral plan in place, and if that’s the case, many of the decisions may already be taken care of.

If there are no specific instructions, you’ll need to decide whether it will be a burial or a cremation, and what kind of service feels right – whether religious, non-religious, or something completely personal. You might be unsure where to start, and that’s where we can help.

At Hadaway & Denton, we’ll listen to your wishes and help arrange a service that feels right for your family. We can take care of everything – from booking the crematorium or burial ground, to helping choose readings, flowers, music, and even arranging transport for the day. We can also talk you through options such as holding a wake, arranging order of service sheets, and collecting donations in memory of your loved one.

There’s no need to rush. A funeral doesn’t have to happen straight away, especially if family members are travelling from abroad or if a coroner is involved. We’re here to guide you through it all, at a pace that suits you.

Step 4: Telling Other People

As the immediate arrangements take shape, you may find yourself needing to inform family, friends, neighbours, and others connected to the person who has passed. This can be emotionally draining, so don’t feel you have to do it all at once or on your own.

You may want to create a list of people to contact – including their employer if they were still working, or organisations they volunteered with. Friends and family may be able to help you spread the word. Some people choose to post notices in the local paper or use online memorial pages to keep people informed of the funeral details.

This is also the time to start letting banks, utility companies, insurers, and pension providers know. If you use the “Tell Us Once” service mentioned earlier, many government departments will already be informed. If not, there are helpful checklists available to keep track of who needs to know and what information they’ll ask for.

What Happens After

The steps above cover the first few days after someone dies. But as the days and weeks pass, there are still things that may need attention. One of the main tasks will be dealing with the person’s estate – this means sorting out their finances, property, and any possessions. If they left a will, it should name an executor – the person responsible for making sure their wishes are followed. If there is no will, a close family member can usually apply to deal with the estate, and this is known as applying for ‘letters of administration’. This legal process is called probate. It can take several months, especially if the estate is large or complex. You may want to speak with a solicitor to help with the process.

You may also find that grief changes over time. While things may feel numb at first, difficult emotions can arise weeks or months later. That’s entirely normal. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, and everyone moves through it differently. Support is available, and we can help connect you with bereavement services if you need them.