UK Death Planning Master Checklist
The ultimate 'death-proofing' list
A death planning checklist is simply the list of everything you'd want sorted before you die: your will, your powers of attorney, your insurance, your digital accounts, your funeral wishes. Mine is a free Excel spreadsheet that splits the lot into essential and optional, so you can see what actually matters and what's merely nice to have. No email required, no catch.
Complete this and you'll be death-proof (sort of!).
What you’ll find in this checklist:
This free death planning Excel checklist is your one-stop-shop guide to getting all your affairs in order. It's designed to help you feel confident that nothing important will be missed in your end-of-life and estate planning.
• Essential tab – These are the must-do tasks for everyone: wills, executor guidance, powers of attorney, insurance, and critical documents.
• Optional tab – Extras that may apply depending on your circumstances, like pet care, personal messages, or funeral preferences.
• All Tasks tab – A combined view of everything, sortable using Excel's filter function.
How to use the checklist:
• Use the “Completed” column to track each task – mark as Yes or No: it's formatted to highlight when tasks are marked as done.
• Add extra detail in the “Notes” column to keep track of where things are stored or what still needs doing if you've partially completed the topic.
• Use the filter buttons at the top of the All Tasks tab to sort by type (Essential/Optional), category, or completion status.
What matters most:
• Essential = Must-do. These items are non-negotiable if you want to be properly prepared.
• Optional = Your call. These tasks are helpful but depend on your life and preferences. Don’t have pets? Skip that section.
Tackle the list at your own pace. Start with the essentials.
Death Preparation Master Checklist
This template was created by and for Not So Grave. You can find more templates like this covering all aspects of estate planning here on this site.
You can download it by clicking the link above.
This template is provided free of charge for your personal use. Feel free to adapt it to suit your own needs. However, it must not be sold, shared commercially, or used for any financial gain without written permission.
This work is protected by copyright and owned by (my company) Alveta Media Ltd (trading as Not So Grave).
Please note that you are responsible for updating all documents accurately and neither I nor Alveta Media can accept responsibility for any loss or issues that may arise from its use.
“It’s funny the way most people love the dead. Once you’re dead, you’re made for life.”
Jimi Hendrix
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About the founder. I'm Alex Johnson, and I built Not So Grave after my father died suddenly in 2023. Going through his estate taught me more about death planning than any guide I could find at the time, partly because of the documents he'd left, and partly because of the gaps where he hadn't. I'm not a solicitor or a financial adviser, and I'll always tell you when to use one. What I am is someone who's been through it and wants to make your turn easier.
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