What to do when someone dies in Scotland: a step-by-step checklist

When someone dies, the practical jobs arrive at the hardest possible time. This checklist sets out the main steps in Scotland, roughly in the order most families meet them. You don't need to do everything at once, and you don't need to do it alone.

The rules in Scotland differ from the rest of the UK in a few important ways. If the person lived in England or Wales, use GOV.UK, and for Northern Ireland use nidirect.

In the first few days

• Get the medical certificate of cause of death. The GP or hospital doctor issues it, and the registrar will need it.

• Register the death within 8 days. In Scotland you can register at any registration office, not just the one nearest to where the person died. Many offices work by appointment, so phone ahead.

• Ask about Tell Us Once. Many councils offer it. You report the death once and it's passed to most government bodies, including the Department for Work and Pensions and Social Security Scotland.

• Find the will and any funeral wishes. The will usually names the executor, the person who will deal with the estate. Funeral wishes aren't legally binding in Scotland, but families usually follow them.

• Contact a funeral director when you're ready. You don't have to decide everything on the first call.

• Secure the home and make sure any pets, or anyone who relied on the person, are looked after.

In the first month

• Tell the banks. The Death Notification Service lets you notify several banks and building societies in one go.

• Contact pension providers, insurers and the employer, if the person was still working.

• Cancel or transfer regular payments such as subscriptions, utilities and memberships.

• Stop unwanted post by registering with The Bereavement Register.

• Check what financial help is available. Funeral Support Payment can help with funeral costs if you get certain benefits, and you may be able to claim Bereavement Support Payment, depending on your relationship and circumstances. Claim early, as there are time limits.

• Deal with digital accounts such as email, social media and online subscriptions.

In the first few months

• Apply for confirmation. In Scotland, the executor usually needs confirmation, Scotland's version of probate, before banks and others will release money or property. Small and large estates use different processes. Some executors apply themselves, especially for smaller estates, while others use a solicitor.

• Check whether Inheritance Tax applies. GOV.UK explains the thresholds and what counts towards them.

• Collect what's owed, pay any debts and distribute the estate according to the will.

• Keep a record of everything the executor does: every letter, payment and phone call.

Look after yourselves

Grief doesn't follow a checklist. Cruse Scotland offers free bereavement support, and a GP can help too. If the paperwork feels overwhelming, it's fine to ask a solicitor, or a friend, to take on part of it.

Making it easier for your own family

Most of the stress in those first weeks comes from searching: for the will, the policies, the passwords and the people to call. You can spare your own family much of that by writing it all down now, in one place.

In Good Order is a fillable organiser that walks you through it section by section, and includes this checklist for the people you leave behind.

This article is general information about Scotland, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so check the official links above.

ndgo edge™ provides financial coaching and education. It does not provide regulated financial advice.