The first week: a list you can actually follow

There are five things that need doing in the first week and the rest can wait, whatever anyone tells you.

Register the death. In England this has to happen within five days and it is done at the register office for the district where the death occurred. Ask for several certified copies while you are there, because every institution wants an original and they charge more later.

Tell us, or tell whoever holds the will. If you do not know whether there is one, we can check the National Will Register.

Arrange the funeral. A funeral director will act on your instruction before probate, and the bank will usually release funds for the invoice directly.

Tell the bank, and use the Tell Us Once service at the register office, which notifies HMRC, the DWP, the council and the DVLA in one go.

That is the week. Nothing about the estate has a deadline yet, and the paperwork will still be there when you have slept.