There Is No Will. What Do I Need to Find?

When Darren died, he hadn’t made a will and the house was in his name (we felt there was no rush to sort things like that out). So alongside trying to understand that my husband had actually died, I suddenly had to start working out what existed, whose name things were in and where the hell all the paperwork was. Banks. Savings. Pensions. Insurance. The house. Work benefits. Accounts.

And I didn’t know any of his passwords; phone, laptop, work laptop, email, nothing. If you are also trying to work out what to do with their phone, email or online accounts, my Digital Life After Someone Dies guide may help.

Need the Checklist Now?

You shouldn’t have to wade through lots of information to find it. Use the quick links below to download the checklist now.

Start With Finding Things

One thing I would say is that you don’t need to understand the whole estate before you start. Start by finding out what actually exists.

Which banks did they use? Did they have savings? What pensions did they have? Was there life insurance? Did their employer provide death-in-service cover? Whose name is the house in? Are there loans or credit cards?

You might know some of the answers. You might have absolutely no clue about others. Write down what you know and then start filling in the blanks.

Don’t Try to Keep It All in Your Head

This is another reason my notebook became so important after Darren died. Every time I found something, spoke to somebody or received another letter, there was more information to remember.

Account numbers. Policy numbers. Names. Telephone numbers. Reference numbers. Things I needed to find next. Write it all down. Your head has enough to deal with.

There Is No Will: What Do I Need to Find? Worksheet

I’ve created this printable worksheet to give you somewhere to start.

It helps you look for and keep track of:

• Basic personal and family information
• The house and other property
• Banks and savings
• Investments
• Pensions
• Death-in-service and employment benefits
• Life insurance and other policies
• Loans, credit cards and other debts
• Important documents
• People or professionals you may need to speak to
• Things you still need to find

Download the There Is No Will. What Do I Need to Find? Worksheet

This isn’t a worksheet for making long term decisions; it’s simply somewhere to start gathering the information. Find what you can. Write it down. Keep the paperwork together. Make a note of what you still need to find.

This worksheet is based partly on my own experience after Darren died without a will. It is intended as a practical starting point for someone dealing with a death. It isn’t legal, probate or financial advice, and the rules around estates and intestacy will depend on individual circumstances.

If you aren’t sure where this fits among everything else that happens after a death, return to the main starting guide. → What to Do When Someone Dies in Northern Ireland