A plan for England & Wales

The 5-28-6 Method: what to do in the first 5 days, 28 days and 6 months after a death

When someone dies, the hardest part isn't the grief alone — it's not knowing what to do, in what order, or who to call first. The 5-28-6 Method breaks it into the three windows that actually matter: register, notify and settle. Here is the plan, in plain English.

“5-28-6” is simply the shape of the timeline. Roughly the first 5 days are about registering the death; the next 28 days are about notifying everyone who needs to know; and the months that follow — up to the 6-month Inheritance Tax point — are about settling the estate. You don't have to do it all at once. You just have to do it in order.

Window 1 — Register

The first 5 days

In England & Wales a death must usually be registered within 5 days (since the Medical Examiner reform, the clock generally starts when you're told the death can be registered). Almost everything else depends on the certificate you get here.

Register the death and order several certified copies of the death certificate — banks, pensions and insurers each want their own original.
Find the will and confirm who the executor is — they have the authority to act.
Check for any recorded funeral wishes before arranging anything.
Make the first calls: close family, employer, the funeral director.

Window 2 — Notify

The next 28 days

There's no single legal deadline here — we use 28 days as a practical target to tell everyone who needs to know, before letters and direct debits pile up. The trap is assuming one service does it all.

Use Tell Us Once for government — HMRC, DWP, the Passport Office, DVLA, the council and some public-sector pensions, in a single report.
But Tell Us Once does not tell your bank, mortgage lender, insurers, utilities, or private and workplace pensions — each of those must be contacted separately.
Work from a complete list of accounts — current and savings accounts, cards, pensions, policies, subscriptions, utilities — so nothing is missed and nothing keeps charging.
Redirect post and cancel anything that renews automatically.

Window 3 — Settle

Up to 6 months

The final window is about settling the estate — valuing what was left, applying for probate if it's required, and meeting the Inheritance Tax point.

Value the estate — property, savings, possessions, and any debts owed.
Apply for probate if it's required for the estate (not every estate needs it; the rules and any fees are set by GOV.UK).
Where any Inheritance Tax is due, it must usually be paid by the end of the sixth month after the death — many estates owe none, but the estate generally still needs valuing.
Keep clear records of every account closed and every payment made.

A will isn't the plan

A will says who gets what. It doesn't tell your family what to do— where everything is, which pension to call, what to cancel, who to contact first. That's the gap the 5-28-6 Method fills: it turns a pile of paperwork into a plan your family can simply follow, in order, on the worst week of their lives.

See the Estate Handover Kit →

Common questions

The 5-28-6 Method, answered

How long do you have to register a death in England & Wales?

A death must usually be registered within 5 days in England & Wales (Scotland allows 8 days). Since the Medical Examiner reform, the 5 days generally run from when you are told the death can be registered. Registering is the first step — most other tasks need the death certificate it produces.

Doesn't 'Tell Us Once' cover everything?

No. Tell Us Once notifies government departments only — HMRC, DWP, the Passport Office, DVLA, the local council and certain public-sector pensions. It does not tell your bank, mortgage lender, insurers, utilities or private and workplace pensions. Those must each be contacted separately, which is why a complete account list matters.

When is Inheritance Tax due?

Where any Inheritance Tax is due, it must usually be paid by the end of the sixth month after the person died. Many estates owe none, but the estate generally still needs to be valued. This is general information, not tax advice — check GOV.UK or a professional for your situation.

We've already made a will — do we still need a plan?

A will says who inherits. It doesn't give your family a plan for what to actually do — where everything is, which pension to call, what to cancel, who to contact first. The 5-28-6 plan is that practical layer. The two work together; one is not a substitute for the other.

Does this avoid or speed up probate?

No. Nothing here avoids or accelerates probate, and it is not a substitute for a solicitor. What it does is make the process calmer and faster to work through — everything your family needs is in one place, in the order they'll need it.