Guide
What to do when your sister dies
The death of a sister can leave you both grieving and suddenly responsible. Take it step by step — this guide sets out the order.
The first steps
Register the death within 5 days (8 in Scotland) at a register office, and order several certified copies of the death certificate while you’re there — banks, pensions and insurers each want to see an original. Then begin funeral arrangements, checking first for any prepaid plan or written wishes your sister left.
Your role in sorting things out
If your sister had a spouse, partner or children, they usually take the lead and may be named in her will. You may be the executor, or helping out. If she had no closer family, you as a sibling may register the death and handle the estate.
Check for a will to confirm who is responsible. With no will, the nearest relatives can apply to administer the estate under the intestacy rules.
Telling people and organisations
Use the government’s Tell Us Once service to report the death to HMRC, the DWP, the passport office, DVLA and the local council in one step. Then contact banks, pension providers, insurers and any household services directly.
Common questions
- Who inherits if my sister had no will or children?
- Under intestacy, a spouse or civil partner inherits first. If there’s none, it passes to parents, then to siblings — so you and any other siblings may inherit equally.
- Can I arrange the funeral?
- Yes. Any close relative can arrange the funeral. Check first for a prepaid plan or written wishes, and keep receipts — funeral costs are paid from the estate.
General information to help you find your way — not legal or financial advice. Last reviewed June 2026.