What to Do When Someone Dies: A Step-by-Step Checklist (US, UK, Canada, Australia)

If someone you love has just died, we are so sorry. You do not have to do everything today. Most tasks can wait days or weeks. Only a few things need doing in the first hours.

Here is the short answer. First, get the death confirmed by a doctor, nurse or emergency service. Then choose a funeral director and register the death. Look for the will and any written funeral wishes. Keep the home, car and pets safe. In the first month, order certified copies of the death certificate. Then tell the government, banks and pension providers.

This page walks you through each step, in order. It covers the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, because the rules and deadlines differ. Every deadline was checked on official government pages on 2 November 2026.

Perhaps you are reading this to be ready, before a death. That is a kind thing to do. You will find a section on that at the end.

What should you do in the first few hours?

Take a breath. In most cases, nothing has to happen in the next hour.

The US National Cancer Institute says: "After the person has died, there is no need to hurry with arrangements" (NCI). Many families sit with the person for a while. They talk, pray or simply stay close. This is also the time for any faith or cultural customs.

What you do first depends on where the person died.

In a hospital, hospice or care home. The staff will confirm the death and guide you. They will tell you how long the person can stay there. For these places, the Australian government says "you don't need to do anything" (Services Australia). Tell the staff about any religious needs, for example a quick burial.

At home, and the death was expected. Call the person's doctor or nurse. If they were in hospice care, call the hospice. A hospice usually has a plan ready for this moment (National Institute on Aging).

At home, and the death was sudden or unexpected. Call your emergency number. The next section explains each country.

Organ or body donation. Did the person want to donate organs, tissue or their body? Tell the doctor or nurse as soon as you can. Timing matters for donation.

Then call one or two close people. Ask someone to come and be with you. You do not need to call everyone today.

A first-hours checklist

• Get the death confirmed by a doctor, nurse, hospice nurse or emergency service.
• Tell the doctor about any organ, tissue or body donation wishes.
• Call one or two close family members or friends.
• Ask someone to stay with you.
• Look after any children, dependants or pets in the home.

What do you do when someone dies at home?

A death at home can feel frightening, even when you expected it. The steps depend on one question. Was the death expected?

An expected death means the person had a known illness. Their doctors knew death was near. An unexpected death means it was sudden, or the cause is not clear.

If the death was expected

Country	Who to call
US	The hospice team, if they were in hospice. Otherwise their doctor. A hospice nurse can confirm the death (NCI).
UK	Their GP or district nurse. If the surgery is closed, call the out-of-hours doctor or NHS 111 (Macmillan). In Scotland, 111 connects you to NHS 24 (NHS inform).
Canada	The doctor who was caring for the person. In Ontario, if no doctor is available, contact the local coroner's office (Ontario).
Australia	Their doctor, who will sign a certificate that confirms the death (Services Australia).

Once a doctor or nurse has confirmed the death, you can call a funeral director. Most funeral directors answer the phone day and night. You do not have to call straight away if you want more time with the person.

If the death was sudden or unexpected

Call your emergency number:

• US and Canada: 911
• UK: 999
• Australia: 000

The police may make a routine visit. A coroner, or in Scotland the procurator fiscal, may look into the cause of death. This is a standard step. Most of these deaths turn out to be natural (Macmillan). It can delay the funeral by some days. You can ask the coroner's office how long it may take.

What needs doing in the first few days?

Now the practical tasks begin. Ask for help with them. A friend can make calls for you.

Choose a funeral director

The funeral director moves the person into their care. In the US, Canada and Australia, they usually also register the death for you. Before you agree to anything, ask for a written price list. You can phone two or three homes to compare. Our guide to funeral home price tricks explains your rights in the US and the UK.

Want a rough idea of costs first? Our free funeral cost estimator shows typical prices by country.

A funeral is not always a legal requirement. The Australian government says "it's not a legal requirement in Australia to have a funeral" (Services Australia). A direct cremation or a small family gathering is a valid choice.

Look for the will and any written wishes

The will may say who the executor is. An executor is the person chosen to deal with money and property after a death. The will may also say whether the person wanted burial or cremation.

Look at home, in a safe deposit box, or ask their lawyer or solicitor. Do not sell or give away anything yet. Our executor checklist explains the executor's job.

Register the death

Registering creates the official record. You need it before the funeral can happen.

Country	Who registers, and when
England and Wales	A doctor confirms the death. A medical examiner then checks the cause. Register within 5 days of the medical examiner's office telling you that you can (GOV.UK).
Scotland	Register within 8 days, at any registration office in Scotland (mygov.scot).
Northern Ireland	Register within 5 days, unless the death went to the coroner (nidirect).
US	The funeral director files the death certificate with the state. You order copies from the vital records office of the state where the person died (USAGov).
Canada	In Ontario, the funeral director and a family member complete a Statement of Death, and the funeral director usually submits it (Ontario). Other provinces work in a similar way.
Australia	The death must be registered with the state or territory births, deaths and marriages registry. The funeral director usually does this for you (Services Australia).

In England and Wales, the registrar gives you a certificate for burial or cremation. People call it "the green form". Give it to the funeral director.

Order certified copies of the death certificate

Banks, insurers and pension providers usually want a certified copy, not a photocopy. Order several at once. It is often cheaper and faster when you register. Our guide on how many death certificates you need helps you count.

Keep things safe

• Lock the home. Take spare keys from anyone who should not have them.
• Find someone to care for pets.
• Do not drive their car until you check the insurance still covers you.
• Throw away food that will spoil.
• Redirect or collect the mail.
• Tell their employer, if they worked.

What needs doing in the first month?

These tasks matter, but none of them need doing in one day. Make a list and work through it over a few weeks.

Tell the government

Each country has its own system. Some have a "tell once" service.

• US: The funeral home usually reports the death to the Social Security Administration (SSA). If not, call SSA on 1-800-772-1213. SSA takes death reports only by phone or in person, not online (USAGov). SSA then tells Medicare.
• UK: The registrar will explain Tell Us Once. It tells HMRC, DWP, the Passport Office, DVLA and the local council in one go. It covers people who lived in England, Scotland or Wales. You must use it within 28 days of getting the reference number (GOV.UK). In some parts of Scotland, it is not offered; the registrar will tell you.
• Canada: If the death happens in a province, the province tells the Social Insurance Number program for you. You still need to contact the Canada Revenue Agency. You also need to cancel any CPP or OAS pension (Government of Canada).
• Australia: If the person got a payment from Services Australia, tell them within 28 days (Services Australia). Once the death is registered, the free Australian Death Notification Service can tell many companies at once.

Our full list of who to notify when someone dies covers banks, utilities and subscriptions too.

Watch out for pension payments

A payment may arrive after the death. Do not spend it until you check.

• US: SSA cannot pay benefits for the month of death. If the person died in July, the payment that arrives in August must go back (USAGov).
• Canada: CPP and OAS are paid for the month of death. Payments after that month must be returned (Government of Canada).

Check what help you can claim

Some payments have time limits. These figures were checked on 2 November 2026.

Country	Payment	Time limit
US	Social Security lump-sum death payment of $255, for a spouse or some children	Apply within 2 years of the death (SSA)
UK	Bereavement Support Payment, if your husband, wife, civil partner or live-in partner died: up to £3,500 at once plus 18 monthly payments of £350 (higher rate), or £2,500 plus 18 payments of £100 (lower rate)	Claim within 3 months to get the full amount (GOV.UK)
Canada	CPP death benefit: $2,500, plus a possible $2,500 top-up for deaths from 1 January 2025 (maximum $5,000)	The executor should apply within 60 days of the death (Government of Canada)
Australia	Ask Services Australia what help you can get	Tell them within 28 days (Services Australia)

Start the estate

The estate is everything the person owned, minus what they owed. The executor collects it, pays debts and taxes, and passes on what is left. Sometimes a court must first confirm the executor's power. This step is called probate. Our guide do I need probate? explains when it is needed.

Do not pay debts from your own money. In the US, the FTC says debts are paid from the estate. Family members usually do not have to pay them themselves. There are exceptions, for example if you co-signed a loan (FTC).

Be careful with calls and letters

After a death, some criminals contact grieving families. They may claim a hidden debt or an unclaimed inheritance. Never pay a stranger or give bank details on a call you did not expect. Read our guide to scams that target families after a death before you reply to anyone.

Which deadlines matter most?

Most of the work has no fixed date. These are the few that do.

Task	Deadline	Where
Register the death	5 days after the medical examiner's office says you can	England and Wales
Register the death	8 days	Scotland
Register the death	5 days	Northern Ireland
Use Tell Us Once	28 days after you get the reference number	England, Scotland, Wales
Claim Bereavement Support Payment in full	3 months	UK
Tell Services Australia about the death	28 days	Australia
Apply for the CPP death benefit (executor)	60 days	Canada
Apply for the $255 lump-sum death payment	2 years	US

In the US, Canada and Australia, the funeral director usually handles registration. In every country, a coroner's inquiry can change the timing. The officials involved will tell you what to do.

What can wait?

Much more than you think. You can leave these until after the funeral, or for months:

• Sorting clothes, photos and belongings.
• Closing most online accounts and social media.
• Selling a car or a house.
• Paying debts. The executor does this from the estate, in the right order.
• Sharing out gifts in the will. The executor waits until debts and taxes are clear.

In Australia, the government says an estate can take around 12 months to finish (Services Australia). Estates in other countries can take a similar time. That is normal.

Unsure what to do with phones, emails and photos? Read who gets your photos and voice messages when you die.

Grief also takes time. If you need support, our grief pages are a place to start. Many companies have a bereavement team. When you call, ask for it. You can also ask a friend to make the calls with you.

How can you make this easier for your own family?

Most of this page is about finding things. Where is the will? Who is the executor? Which bank? Which pension? Did they want burial or cremation?

When those answers are written down in one place, a family's first week is calmer. They spend less time searching and more time together.

You can start today, in small steps. Write down where your important papers are. Tell one person who your executor is. Write a few lines about the funeral you would want, and the one you would not. Death is a natural part of life. Getting ready is a last kind thing you can do for the people you love.

This page gives general information, checked on official government pages on 2 November 2026. It is not legal or financial advice. Rules differ by state, province and territory. Check with the registrar, funeral director or a lawyer for your situation.