The Farewell

Your guide through life’s toughest moments

What to do when someone dies

How to arrange a funeral

If you’re arranging a funeral for someone, you’ll probably want to start by working out what they wanted. This might be something they included in their will. You can then shop around for a service that feels right for everyone.

How to get a death certificate in the UK

In order to get a death certificate, you need to register the death in a local register office. It’s free to register the death, but you’ll need to pay £11 for each copy of the death certificate.

What is next of kin?

Next of kin is the term used to describe your closest living relative, such as your spouse or civil partner. The UK does not have laws around who you can name as your next of kin, but there are specific rules for who takes responsibility when someone dies.

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Everything you need to know about funerals

How to choose between burial and cremation

In a nutshell, choosing cremation gives families more flexibility to remember their loved one, their way – and it’s usually cheaper. But while burials are more expensive overall, they tend to have less impact on the environment.

How to write a eulogy

A eulogy usually includes a timeline of the person’s life and details about their personality. Family or friends might ask you to read one at their funeral or cremation if you were close to them. But there are no set rules about who reads it.

Can you plan your own funeral?

If you have specific ideas on what you want to happen after you die planning your own funeral and letting your loved ones know is a good idea. But no one can guarantee it will happen exactly as you plan it.

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Preparing for someone’s death

What you can prepare if someone is receiving end of life care

You can start preparing to plan the funeral, deal with finances and property, and who you need to inform.

Talking about death with someone who is in end of life care

We often help people who sometimes feel unsure whether they are planning a funeral that their loved one would have wanted or they’d like to be remembered. Having conversations with the person now can be a big comfort down the line.

What to do when someone receiving end of life care dies

How to get in touch with us and what to do if your loved one dies in end of life care ('palliative care') at home, hospital, care home or hospice.

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Meet a few of our authors

Matt Morgan, Head of Funerals

Matt is a cremation expert with a passion for making funerals more personal and affordable.

Lorraine Robinson, Head of Legal

Lorraine has over 10 years of wills and probate expertise and is a member of the Law Society Wills and Equity Committee.

June Yap, Probate Lead

June is a probate solicitor with years of experience helping families apply for probate after losing a loved one.

Taking care of someone’s estate

What is probate?

Probate (short for ‘a grant of probate’) is a legal document that shows banks, the Land Registry and other organisations that you have the authority to deal with someone’s estate. The process of getting probate usually takes 1-3 months.

How to get a grant of representation

A grant of representation is a document that allows you to deal with someone's estate. To get one, you need to collect up information about their estate, fill out a form and submit an application to the probate registry.

What are letters of administration?

Letters of administration (also known as a grant of letters of administration) is a document issued by the probate registry. This allows someone to act as the administrator of an estate after someone has died.

Do I need probate if my husband or wife dies?

You may need probate if your husband or wife dies and leaves behind assets that aren’t jointly owned with you. However, if you’re the joint owner of their property and bank accounts, probate may not be required.

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Use our free tools

Find out if you need probate

Finding out if you need probate can be confusing, so our experts created a free tool that checks for you. Answer a few questions to get started.

Get an estimate for a funeral

From a simple service at your local crematorium to a family gathering by the sea, we can help you estimate how much the right funeral for your loved one will cost.

Everything you need to know about wills

How to create a will at home

You can write a will at home by using an online will writing service. Then you can print and sign it alongside two witnesses to make it legally binding.

What is a codicil to a will?

A codicil is a legal document that allows you to amend an existing will. This can be helpful if you want to add new family members or leave gifts to charities, but it’s better to write a new will for larger changes.

What happens if you don't write a will?

When someone dies without writing a will, their estate is shared out following the rules of intestacy. Here, we’ll cover what this means and who can inherit when there isn’t a valid will in place.

What is a mirror will and do I need one?

When couples in the UK think about writing a will, the term ‘mirror will’ often springs to mind. But is it really the best option for you and your partner?

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Changing the way the world deals with death

Talking to tackle taboos with Macmillan: How to have difficult conversations around death and cancer

At Farewill, our mission is to change the way the world deals with death. We’re working hard to help people through some of life’s toughest times. A big part of that is helping people have often difficult conversations with their families about death.

Talking to tackle taboos with Macmillan: Starting conversations about death, with a loved one who has cancer

Talking to tackle taboos with Macmillan: Starting conversations with children about death and cancer

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The UK’s best-rated death experts

At Farewill we’re making everything to do with death easier, friendlier and more affordable. We provide probate, wills and funerals with a difference, and so far we’ve helped over 60,000 families in the UK.

Find out more

The Farewell

Contents

What to do when someone dies

How to arrange a funeral

How to get a death certificate in the UK

What is next of kin?

Everything you need to know about funerals

How to choose between burial and cremation

How to write a eulogy

Can you plan your own funeral?

Preparing for someone’s death

What you can prepare if someone is receiving end of life care

Talking about death with someone who is in end of life care

What to do when someone receiving end of life care dies

Meet a few of our authors

Matt Morgan, Head of Funerals

Lorraine Robinson, Head of Legal

June Yap, Probate Lead

Taking care of someone’s estate

What is probate?

How to get a grant of representation

What are letters of administration?

Do I need probate if my husband or wife dies?

Use our free tools

Find out if you need probate

Get an estimate for a funeral

Everything you need to know about wills

How to create a will at home

What is a codicil to a will?

What happens if you don't write a will?

What is a mirror will and do I need one?

Changing the way the world deals with death

Talking to tackle taboos with Macmillan: How to have difficult conversations around death and cancer

Talking to tackle taboos with Macmillan: Starting conversations about death, with a loved one who has cancer

Talking to tackle taboos with Macmillan: Starting conversations with children about death and cancer

The UK’s best-rated death experts