A–Z After a Death in Chester
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Hold your horses!
When someone dies, it is easy to commit to costs or start dealing with property before checking who has authority. A few checks first can prevent unnecessary expense, complications and sometimes personal financial loss.
Before arranging anything, try to establish whether there is:
- a Will and who the executors are — they will normally be responsible for dealing with the estate;
- a funeral plan, funeral insurance or other life insurance which may help with the cost;
- funeral wishes explaining what the person wanted.
- Empty home? Valuables and important paperwork need securing.
- Care home? Check the contract and charges promptly. Arranging to remove belongings within the required timescale may avoid additional costs.
It is equally important to know what not to do. Being next of kin does not automatically give authority to deal with the estate. Do not use the deceased person’s cards or accounts, give away belongings, or assume a Power of Attorney still applies after death. The person who instructs a funeral may also be responsible for the bill.
The guide below takes you through the main jobs in a sensible order and points you towards local help where it is useful.
1. What to Do Immediately
What happens next depends mainly on whether the death was expected or unexpected.
Was the death expected or unexpected? (click to expand)
The death was expected (click to expand)
If the person died at home and the death was expected, contact the GP surgery or healthcare professional responsible for their care. If the person died in hospital, a hospice or care home, staff will normally explain what happens next.
The death will normally be reviewed by a Medical Examiner. The Medical Examiner’s office will contact the relevant person and explain when the necessary paperwork has been completed and when registration can take place.
If necessary, you can find Medical Examiner offices through the NHS Medical Examiner offices directory.
The death was unexpected
If someone has died unexpectedly and the death has just been discovered, call 999 and follow the operator’s instructions.
Do not move the person or disturb the surrounding area unless you are told to do so. The police and ambulance service may attend and the death may be referred to the coroner.
If the coroner is involved, the coroner’s officer will normally contact the relevant person and explain what happens next.
If you need to identify the relevant coroner, use the Coroners’ Society directory.
2. Register the death
Who can register the death?
There are rules about who can register a death. This will often be a relative, although other people may be able to register in certain circumstances. If you are unsure whether you qualify, check with the registration service before booking.
Check who can register a death on GOV.UK.
What information will you need?
The registrar will need information about the person who died. It is useful to have their full name, date and place of birth, usual address, occupation and, where applicable, details of their spouse or civil partner.
The local registration service will tell you what information or documents you should have available for the appointment. Check names, spellings and dates carefully before the entry is finalised.
Death certificates: costs and copies
Registering the death is free. Certified copies of the death entry, commonly called death certificates, cost £12.50 each at the standard fee in England and Wales (checked October 2026). Priority services, delivery or searches may involve additional charges; confirm the total when ordering.
You may need copies for banks, insurers, pension providers and other organisations dealing with the deceased person’s affairs. Ask what each organisation accepts before buying a large number: check whether it needs an official copy, will accept a scan, or will return a certificate for reuse.
Further copies can be ordered later. Check the local register office’s arrangements or see the official certificate-ordering service and current fees.
The certificate authorising burial or cremation, often called the green form, is a different document from the paid death certificates used to deal with financial affairs.
Who can register a death in England and Wales?
Registering a Death in Chester
For a death occurring in Chester, contact Cheshire West and Chester Registration Service to arrange registration.
Chester Register Office
Merchants House
Crook Street, Chester
CH1 2BE
Telephone: 0300 123 7037
Appointments: Book or find out how to register a death
Important: Do not book an appointment until the Medical Examiner’s office or coroner’s officer has told you that registration can go ahead.
Tell Us Once
Tell Us Once is a government service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. You must use Tell Us Once within 28 days of receiving the reference number or the code won’t work.
The Registrar will normally explain the service when the death is registered and will either complete it with you or give you a reference number so that you can use the service yourself.
Find out more about Tell Us Once on GOV.UK
Banks, insurers, utilities and other organisations
Tell Us Once does not notify private or commercial organisations. Banks, insurers, private pension providers, utility companies, subscriptions and other organisations will still need to be told separately.
The following free services may make this easier:
- Death Notification Service — notify a number of participating banks, building societies and other member organisations at the same time.
- Life Ledger — notify many UK banks, insurers, pension providers, utilities, telecoms and other companies from one place.
- The Bereavement Register — helps reduce unwanted marketing and junk mail addressed to the person who has died.
- Gretel — a free service that can help trace lost or forgotten pensions, bank accounts, investments and other financial assets.
Keep a record of who has been notified and any reference numbers or replies you receive. Some organisations may still ask for a death certificate or other evidence.
3. Arrange the funeral
Download our free Funeral Planning Workbook (PDF) to help organise the funeral and record the arrangements.
Check for a prepaid funeral plan
Before instructing a funeral director, check for a prepaid funeral plan, funeral insurance and written funeral wishes. Otherwise, the family could commit to costs already covered by an existing arrangement.
Look for plan documents, emails and payment records, and ask close family or the person who helped arrange the plan. The funeral director who sold it may be different from the company providing the plan. If the provider has changed its name, transferred its plans, or stopped trading, find out who now administers the arrangement.
If you find a plan, contact the provider before committing to a new funeral contract. Confirm which funeral director should be used, whether the plan is fully paid and exactly which services and third-party charges it covers. Ask about any balance, exclusions, optional extras or changes to the arrangements, and obtain confirmation in writing.
A prepaid funeral plan and a life or funeral insurance policy are different arrangements. Check what any policy pays, who can claim and how quickly funds may be available; do not assume it organises the funeral or covers the full bill.
Finding or claiming on a prepaid funeral plan — including help where the paperwork cannot be found.
FCA guidance: check the provider and find funeral-plan tracing information. The tracing service signposted by the FCA covers plans held by its participating members; it is not a complete record of every plan.
Choose a funeral director
Compare funeral directors and obtain a written explanation of the services and costs before signing an agreement. Check what is included, what is optional and which third-party charges are additional.
More about arranging a funeral
Funeral Directors
Arrange the funeral and other services
Check the deceased’s recorded wishes and discuss the arrangements with those organising the funeral. Consider the type of ceremony, burial or cremation, and the appropriate venue.
The funeral director will normally coordinate many of the arrangements. Depending on the funeral chosen, you may also need a celebrant or religious minister, florist, memorial mason or other service.
Whoever signs the funeral contract should understand that they may be personally responsible for the cost if the estate or funeral plan does not meet it. Establish how payment will be made before committing to expenditure.
Death announcements and estate notices
A local newspaper notice can inform friends and the wider community about the death and funeral arrangements. Check the wording, publication date and cost before placing it.
A funeral announcement is different from a formal estate notice intended to help identify creditors. Executors and administrators should consider whether formal notices are appropriate before distributing the estate.
The Gazette and notices when administering an estate
The Gazette: information about placing a deceased estates notice
Local death and funeral announcements
The Chester Standard — death and funeral announcements
Contact the newspaper to check its notice service, charges and publication deadlines. Your funeral director may also help arrange an announcement.
If you need another publication, find a local newspaper.
Funeral Celebrants
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Florists
Memorial Masons
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4. Estate administration (Probate)
Obtaining probate is only one part of administering an estate. The work may include finding the Will, identifying and valuing assets, dealing with debts and taxes, collecting or transferring assets, preparing estate accounts and distributing inheritances. Some estates can be handled by the executors themselves; others need specialist help.
This guidance covers England and Wales. Different procedures apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Locate the Will and identify who can act
Look for the original Will and any codicils, and identify the appointed executors. The documents may be kept at home or held by a solicitor or professional adviser. A Will search may help identify where a Will is held.
If there is no valid Will, the intestacy rules determine who inherits and who has priority to apply to administer the estate. Being a relative or having held a Lasting Power of Attorney does not automatically give someone authority to administer the estate: powers of attorney end on death.
Is a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration needed?
The answer depends on the assets, how they were owned and the requirements of the organisations holding them. There is no single financial institution limit that applies to every estate.
List the deceased’s bank accounts, savings, investments, shares, property and other assets. Ask each asset holder whether it requires a grant before releasing or transferring an asset, and what documents it needs.
Banks, building societies and investment providers have their own limits and procedures. An organisation may require a grant even below its usual limit, depending on the circumstances. Check whether its limit applies to the combined holdings with that institution rather than to each account separately.
Institutional limits before probate is required — use the figures as a starting point and confirm the institution’s current requirements directly.
Property owned solely by the deceased will normally require a grant before it can be sold or transferred. Property held as joint tenants normally passes to the surviving joint owner outside the Will. A share held as tenants in common does not pass automatically to the other owner; the conveyancing arrangements and need for a grant should be checked with the adviser handling the property.
Joint accounts, pensions, life policies and trust assets need individual checks. Some pass outside the estate, but that does not necessarily mean they can be ignored when considering Inheritance Tax.
Value the estate and apply for the grant
Before applying, establish the estate’s assets and liabilities and check the Inheritance Tax reporting requirements. Gifts made during the deceased’s lifetime and interests in trusts may also need to be considered. Keep supporting statements, valuations and records of any reliefs or exemptions claimed.
A grant may be needed even where no Inheritance Tax is payable. Equally, an estate may have tax reporting obligations even if no grant is required.
Where a grant is required, the appropriate application depends on whether there is a valid Will and who is entitled to apply. Check the official guidance before starting.
Official probate application guidance
Probate forms and guidance on GOV.UK — including the paper application forms.
Choosing professional help
Decide which tasks you can reasonably undertake yourself and where professional help would add value. You may want help obtaining the grant alone, with particular legal or tax issues, or with the whole administration.
Probate and estate administration, Will disputes, trust administration and estate tax work require different expertise. Choose a provider with experience of the particular work needed.
Ask for a written explanation of the work included, exclusions, VAT, expenses and how additional charges are calculated. Compare the total likely cost rather than the headline fee alone.
Local probate and estate administration practitioners
Administer and distribute the estate carefully
An estate can be administered without a family dispute and still expose its executors or administrators to substantial liabilities. They must protect the assets, keep accurate records, deal with debts and taxes, and distribute the estate to the correct beneficiaries.
Take particular care with valuations, lifetime gifts, tax relief claims and reporting deadlines. Errors can lead to additional tax, interest and penalties.
An executor or administrator can face personal liability. Distributing money before liabilities are resolved, overlooking beneficiaries, mishandling assets or putting personal interests ahead of their duties can have serious financial consequences. Being unpaid or a family member does not remove those responsibilities.
Keep estate money separate from personal funds, record receipts and payments, and prepare estate accounts. Before making final distributions, check outstanding debts, tax, potential claims and whether sufficient funds should be retained.
Probate and Will disputes: get specialist advice early
Disputes may concern whether a Will is valid, provision for a family member or dependant, entitlement to inherit, or the conduct of an executor. Seek advice from a solicitor who specialises in contentious probate and has experience of the particular dispute. Routine Will-writing or estate administration experience alone may not be enough.
Probate disputes can be incredibly expensive. Legal fees can substantially reduce the money at stake, and court proceedings may expose a party to an order to pay some of the other side’s costs. Do not assume the estate will pay everyone’s bills or that winning means recovering every pound spent.
Ask your specialist about the merits, applicable deadlines, likely costs, funding and the risk of paying the other side’s costs. Discuss negotiation or mediation early. Before distributing disputed assets or taking formal steps to block a grant, obtain advice on the appropriate action.
Court rules on legal costs — the court has discretion over costs orders.
Probate and Will dispute specialists
If a beneficiary wants to redirect some or all of an inheritance, a Deed of Variation may be worth considering. Obtain advice promptly: changes intended to have particular Inheritance Tax or Capital Gains Tax effects generally need to meet conditions and be made within two years of death.
Trusts: additional responsibilities and registration
A Will may create a trust, for example over a share of the family home, for a child or vulnerable beneficiary, or to give someone an income or right to occupy property. The deceased may also have been a trustee or beneficiary of an existing trust.
Trusts can add legal, accounting and tax work. Check who the trustees are, what the trust terms require, how assets should be transferred or held, and what ongoing records and tax reporting are needed. Finishing the estate administration does not necessarily end the trustees’ responsibilities.
Many trusts must be registered with HMRC’s Trust Registration Service even if no tax is payable. A qualifying Will trust generally has a two-year exclusion from registration as a non-taxable trust, measured from the date of death. If it continues beyond that period, registration may be required unless another exclusion applies. Tax liabilities can create earlier registration obligations.
Do not assume every estate taking more than two years must be registered as a trust. Estate tax registration and trust registration have different rules; the wording of the Will and the nature of any trust matter.
Check whether a trust needs registering and how to register
Accountants and estate tax reporting
Tax work does not necessarily finish when probate is granted. There may be outstanding tax matters for the deceased up to the date of death, followed by separate Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax obligations during the administration period.
Income received and gains made while administering the estate may need reporting to HMRC. Some estates require annual Trust and Estate Tax Returns. Qualifying simpler estates can use informal reporting at the end of the administration period instead. Certain estates have nothing to report.
Do not wait until the estate is ready to close before checking the rules. Registration, annual returns and some property-sale reporting can have earlier deadlines. Keep records throughout and obtain advice before sales or distributions where the tax position is uncertain.
When choosing an accountant or tax adviser, ask about their experience of deceased estates and trusts, including finalising the administration-period tax position and providing any tax information needed by beneficiaries.
HMRC guidance on reporting an estate’s income and gains
Accountants and tax advisers for estates and trusts
5. Property and possessions
The home and possessions need protecting while the estate is being dealt with, particularly if the property is empty. Secure the property, contact the insurer, safeguard valuables and paperwork, and keep a record of anything removed. Mobile phone photographs can help record the condition of rooms and individual items, but do not replace a proper valuation.
Executors and administrators should take reasonable steps to prevent avoidable loss. Keep a record of inspections, decisions, expenditure and any work commissioned on behalf of the estate.
Secure the property and check the insurance
Tell the buildings and contents insurer about the death and whether the property is occupied. Do not assume the existing cover continues unchanged. Ask for written confirmation of the cover, exclusions and conditions, and arrange suitable empty-property insurance if necessary.
Check requirements for inspections, heating, water systems, locks and security. Follow the insurer’s instructions rather than automatically turning off utilities or draining down the property. Keep dated inspection records and report damage promptly.
Establish who holds keys and whether locks need changing. If anyone still lives at the property, check their rights before changing locks, removing belongings or arranging clearance.
Local locksmiths and security services
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Get the property and contents valued
Valuations may be needed for probate, Inheritance Tax, insurance, sale or distribution between beneficiaries. These purposes can require different figures: an insurance replacement value is not the same as the amount an item could fetch on the open market.
For Inheritance Tax, the relevant starting point is generally the open-market value at the date of death. A later asking price or sale price is not automatically the correct date-of-death valuation.
Consider a suitably qualified property valuer or surveyor where the property is unusual, the tax position is significant or the value may be disputed. Make clear that you need a written date-of-death valuation for probate and tax purposes, rather than simply a suggested marketing price.
Jewellery, art, antiques, collections and other potentially valuable possessions may need specialist assessment. Do not assume old furniture, papers or unfamiliar objects have no value. Have potentially valuable items checked before selling, donating or disposing of them.
Keep photographs, inventories, written valuations and receipts with the estate records. Record whether items belonged to the deceased alone, were jointly owned or belonged to someone else.
Official guidance on valuing an estate
Surveyors
Property Valuers
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Contents Valuers
Clear the property carefully
Do not clear the property too quickly. First identify belongings owned by somebody else, items specifically left in the Will, valuables, sentimental possessions and documents needed for the estate administration.
Preserve Wills, deeds, financial records, tax paperwork and information about gifts or trusts. Secure devices and digital records before arranging disposal, and protect personal information when disposing of paperwork or equipment.
Record what is sold, donated, stored, discarded or passed to a beneficiary, and keep receipts. Do not allow informal removal of belongings to undermine the Will, the estate accounts or other beneficiaries’ entitlements.
A house clearance company, removal or storage company, or auctioneer may be useful. Obtain written terms covering charges, ownership of items removed, any credit for saleable contents and disposal arrangements. Check storage insurance and access arrangements where relevant.
If a business will remove waste, check that it is appropriately registered to do so. Keep its details and evidence of the arrangements: using an unauthorised operator can expose you to penalties if waste is dumped illegally.
Check waste-disposal requirements and registered waste carriers in England or Wales
General Auctioneers
House Clearance
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Removals & Storage
Sell or transfer the property
Ask a lawyer experienced in probate and property matters to clarify who owns the property, who has authority to sell or transfer it, and whether the Will or any trust affects what can be done. Check any mortgages or restrictions that may affect the transaction.
If a grant is needed, ask the lawyer when marketing and the legal steps towards a sale can proceed. Do not promise an exchange or completion date that depends on a grant which has not yet been issued.
Obtain realistic sale advice and compare written terms from suitable providers. A conventional estate-agent sale is not the only option: a property auction or cash buyer may be worth considering. Compare the likely net proceeds, fees, timescale and contractual commitments. An advertised cash offer is not necessarily a guaranteed final price.
Keep evidence supporting the sale price and the reasons for choosing the method of sale. Take particular care with a proposed sale to an executor, beneficiary, relative or associate, where conflicts of interest can arise.
A sale during administration can create Capital Gains Tax obligations if the asset has increased in value since death. Where Capital Gains Tax is due on a UK residential property sale, reporting and payment are usually required within 60 days of completion. Check the position before completion rather than waiting until the estate is ready to close.
More about executors selling property
Official guidance on managing and selling estate assets
Estate Agents
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Property Auctioneers & Cash Buyers
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Conveyancers
Maintain an empty property
An empty property may still need cleaning, garden work and routine maintenance. Deal promptly with leaks, storm damage, security problems and anything that could cause deterioration or invalidate insurance cover.
Arrange reliable inspections in accordance with the insurance conditions. If you live some distance away, consider appointing someone to inspect and maintain the property, with clear written responsibilities and records of each visit.
Keep utilities and essential services under review. Take meter readings, tell suppliers about the death and check the arrangements before cancelling services needed for heating, security or maintenance.
Ask the local council whether a Council Tax exemption applies and when it ends. A qualifying empty property may remain exempt while awaiting probate and for up to six months after the grant, subject to the conditions. Tell the council about changes in occupation, ownership or the grant.
Council Tax guidance for empty properties
Keep invoices for necessary maintenance and check before undertaking substantial improvements. Spending estate money on major refurbishment does not guarantee a corresponding increase in the sale proceeds.
Property Maintenance
Garden Maintenance
Cleaning & Specialist Cleaning
6. General administration
These jobs can usually be dealt with alongside probate and the main estate administration. Keep a record of organisations contacted, reference numbers, outstanding payments and any refunds due.
Redirect and monitor mail
Arrange for important post to reach the person dealing with the estate so bills, financial correspondence and other information are not missed. This also helps prevent personal information accumulating at an empty property.
Use incoming correspondence to help identify accounts, assets, debts and services. Redirection does not replace notifying each organisation about the death.
Arrange a Royal Mail Redirection — check the requirements for redirecting mail following a death.
Reduce unwanted mail
Register the deceased’s details with The Bereavement Register to help reduce addressed advertising mail. This does not redirect post or notify banks, government departments and other organisations about the death, so those tasks still need completing separately.
Notify participating financial organisations
The Death Notification Service lets you notify participating financial organisations about a death. Check which organisations it covers and contact any others separately. You may still need to provide documents and complete each organisation’s account-closure or transfer process.
Review subscriptions and regular payments
Review bank statements and correspondence for subscriptions, memberships, standing orders and other regular payments. Notify providers about the death and ask about cancellation, outstanding balances and any refunds due.
Check whether a service is shared with someone still living at the property before cancelling it. Do not cancel insurance, utilities, alarms or other services protecting an empty property until suitable arrangements are in place.
Keep confirmation of cancellations and final bills. Stopping a payment does not necessarily close an account or settle any amount owed.
Digital accounts and online services
Identify important email, social media, cloud storage, websites and other online accounts. They may contain financial information, family photographs, documents or business records that should be considered before closure.
Do not guess passwords or assume that possessing a device or login details gives authority to access an account. Follow the provider’s bereavement procedure and check what evidence or authority it requires.
Ask about the options for preserving or obtaining relevant information, closing an account or memorialising a social media profile. Arrange any permitted retrieval before requesting permanent deletion.
Keep phones, computers and other devices secure. Avoid resetting, selling or disposing of them until their relevance to the estate and the family has been checked. Consider whether a phone number or email address is needed for an authorised account-recovery process before cancelling the service.
If digital assets have financial value, such as cryptocurrency or an online business, obtain specialist advice before attempting to move, sell or close them.
7. Bereavement help
National charities and specialist organisations offer support for general bereavement, children and young people, the death of a child, pregnancy and baby loss, suicide bereavement and the loss of a partner. Some also provide urgent emotional support.
Find national bereavement support
Local Bereavement Counsellors
8. Faith & belief contacts
Local faith communities and belief organisations may offer support after a death and guidance on religious or cultural funeral customs. If particular practices are important, contact the relevant community promptly.
Run a local faith community or belief organisation? Email Steve to request a free listing for your organisation. Please include your organisation’s name, area served, contact details and website, if available. Celebrant and officiant service listings are paid listings.
9. Estate planning — Wills, LPAs and trusts
A bereavement can change the family’s circumstances and reveal gaps in their own arrangements. There is no need to make every decision immediately, but a review can help protect those who depend on you and make things easier for the people who may one day deal with your affairs.
Review your Will and related arrangements
Check whether your Will still reflects your wishes, particularly if the person who died was a beneficiary, executor, trustee or intended guardian. Changes in your assets or family circumstances may also make a review worthwhile.
If an existing trust affects your home or inheritance, obtain advice on its terms and ongoing responsibilities before making changes.
Review Lasting Powers of Attorney
Consider who would help with your finances or health and care decisions if you could no longer manage them yourself. If you already have Lasting Powers of Attorney, check whether your chosen attorneys and replacement attorneys are still available and suitable.
Local Will writers and estate-planning advisers
Consider financial advice
An inheritance or the loss of a partner’s income may change your financial needs. A suitably qualified financial adviser can help you consider savings, investments, pensions and insurance alongside your immediate needs and longer-term plans.
Take time to understand the advice, charges and risks before committing to investments or arrangements intended to reduce Inheritance Tax. Financial advice and legal estate-planning advice may need to be coordinated.
Financial advisers
Leave clear information for your family
Keep a secure record of important contacts, assets, liabilities, insurance, pensions and digital accounts. Let the appropriate people know where to find your Will, Lasting Powers of Attorney and other essential documents, without exposing passwords or sensitive information unnecessarily.
Record your funeral wishes separately where they can be found promptly, and discuss them with those likely to make the arrangements.
Use our free Funeral Planning Workbook to record your funeral wishes and help your family prepare.
10. Approximate areas covered by Local Register Office
The local towns and villages listed below are a guide. Confirm with the register office that it can handle the registration before booking an appointment.
Awaiting confirmation.
Further help
| Find help in other towns | National bereavement support |
| Do I need probate? | How to find a Will |
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