---
title: "Bereavement support in the UK"
description: "Practical steps after a death — register, Tell Us Once, probate — plus free UK grief support services. No sign-up."
url: "https://swiftwill.co.uk/bereavement-support/"
author: "Marcus Kaiser"
date_modified: "2026-08-12"
---

# Bereavement support in the UK

After a death in England or Wales, the legal steps are: get the medical certificate, register the death within 5 days, use Tell Us Once, arrange the funeral, then deal with the estate (probate). You do not have to do it alone — free grief support is available from Cruse, AtaLoss and GriefChat, and most estate admin can wait a few weeks.

> SwiftWill provides legal information and software for England & Wales under Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. Figures are taken from gov.uk, legislation.gov.uk and HMCTS, checked 12 August 2026. We have not given you legal advice — this is general information.

## What practical steps should you take after a death?

When someone dies, a small number of legal tasks have deadlines and a much larger number do
 not. Our step-by-step guide walks through the whole sequence — from the first phone call to
 closing the last account:

1. **Get the medical certificate** and, if required, speak to the coroner — covered in our [what to do when someone dies](/what-to-do-when-someone-dies/) checklist.
2. **Register the death within 5 days** at the local register office — see [how to register a death](/register-a-death/).
3. **Use Tell Us Once** to inform government departments in one go — see [how Tell Us Once works](/tell-us-once/).
4. **Arrange the funeral** — check the will first for funeral wishes.
5. **Deal with the estate** — find out whether you need probate with our [probate checker](/tools/probate-checker/), then follow the [probate guide](/probate/) and [executor checklist](/executor-checklist/).

## What should an executor do first?

Being named executor is a duty, not a race. The role — valuing the estate, applying for the
 grant, paying debts, distributing what remains — is explained in plain English
 in [what an executor does](/what-is-an-executor/), with a printable
 sequence in the [executor checklist](/executor-checklist/). If there is no will, the
 process is nearly identical except that the [intestacy rules](/intestacy-rules/) decide
 who inherits and who may apply.

## What should you do for the people you would leave behind?

Almost everyone who administers an estate comes away thinking the same thing: *I need to
 make this easier for my own people.* If the estate you are dealing with has no will, you
 can see exactly what that costs a family in time, money and uncertainty. When you are ready,
 making your own will is the kindest admin task you will ever finish — and it takes
 about 15 minutes.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the very first thing to do when someone dies?

Get the medical certificate of cause of death. If the death was expected, the GP or hospital doctor issues it; if unexpected, call 999 and the coroner may become involved. Nothing else can happen — registration, funeral, probate — until the death is medically certified.

### Where can I get free grief support in the UK?

Cruse Bereavement Support runs a free helpline (0808 808 1677) and local services. AtaLoss signposts every bereavement service in the UK and runs The Bereavement Journey course. GriefChat offers free instant-messaging with trained bereavement counsellors. Samaritans (116 123) is there 24/7 if it feels too much.

### Do I have to deal with probate straight away?

No. Apart from registering the death (within 5 days in England and Wales) and using Tell Us Once, most estate admin can wait a few weeks while you grieve and arrange the funeral. Banks will not release significant funds until they have seen the death certificate and, where needed, the Grant of Probate.

### Who handles the estate if there is no will?

The person entitled under the intestacy rules — usually the spouse, civil partner or closest relative — applies for Letters of Administration and becomes the administrator. The role is almost identical to an executor's; the difference is that the law, not a will, decides who inherits.

### Does SwiftWill help with probate?

No — we make wills, and we never sell probate or executor services. Our after-death guides explain the process so you can do it yourself for simple estates, or know exactly what to ask a solicitor or probate professional for complex ones.

Canonical HTML: https://swiftwill.co.uk/bereavement-support/
Markdown: https://swiftwill.co.uk/bereavement-support.md
Last modified: 2026-08-12
Author: Marcus Kaiser (https://swiftwill.co.uk/author/marcus-kaiser/)