Guide
What to do when your son dies
There is no harder loss than a child, at any age. Be kind to yourself — the practical steps below can wait until you’re ready, and others can help carry them.
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 son left.
Who handles the arrangements
If your son was an adult, his husband, wife or partner may take the lead, and any will he left names an executor. If he was a minor, you as parents will register the death and make the arrangements. Either way, you don’t have to face the paperwork alone.
Ask about support specifically for bereaved parents — organisations such as The Compassionate Friends understand this particular grief.
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 registers the death of an adult child?
- Usually a spouse or partner if there is one, otherwise a parent or another close relative. Anyone present at the death or arranging the funeral can also register it.
- What happens to his estate?
- If he left a will, the named executor deals with it. If not, intestacy rules apply — a spouse and any children come first, then parents. You may need probate depending on what he owned.
General information to help you find your way — not legal or financial advice. Last reviewed June 2026.