Less than half (45%) of people in Britain have talked about their funeral wishes with loved ones. Planning ahead for your end-of-life wishes and arrangements is an important task that will help ease your loved ones’ stress and confusion in the event of your death. While thinking and talking about the practicalities of what happens when we die may feel unusual, taking the right precautions and staying organised will give you peace of mind.  

People often die or become terminally ill without leaving behind clear instructions or arrangements for their end-of-life wishes. In these cases, their loved ones may find themselves scrambling to locate important documents and making difficult decisions without anything to guide them. Thus, you can save your loved ones a lot of stress and guesswork by saving your death and funeral wishes in one, convenient, secure place.  

Keep reading to learn more about: 

• What is a death file? 

• What is in a death file? 

• Why do you need a death file? 

• Where to store your death file. 

• How to put together a death file. 

What is a Death File? 

A death file is a physical or digital folder that holds all the important documents that your loved ones would need in the event of your death. The purpose of a death file is to provide your family with everything they would need to take care of your end-of-life and funeral arrangements, burial arrangements, and probate (asset and property distribution).  

What is in a Death File? 

Anything you think might be helpful to your loved ones after your death can go into your death file! In addition to official documents, unofficial documents like letters or your personal funeral wishes can go in as well.  

What goes into a death file: 

• Financial documents, including bank account details, investments and real estate holdings. 

• Retirement account details. 

• Mortgage information. 

• Vehicle ownership titles and registration details. 

• Utility bills, including login details and payment information. 

• Passwords to your email accounts, your computer, banking account, social media, safes. 

• Estate planning documents including your Will and Testament and Power of Attorney. 

• Health insurance policies. 

• Life insurance policies. 

• Identity proofs like your birth certificate, government issued IDs, etc. 

• Your funeral plan details, if you have one, including what type of burial you want and payment details. 

• Your funeral wishes detailing what you want your funeral to be like. You can be as detailed as you like. We have a guide to recording your funeral wishes here: Planning your legacy: what to include in your funeral plans 

• Photographs, mementos and memories. 

• Letters to your loved ones.  

• Instructions for how you want things done after you die. This can include how you want your pets to be cared for, or what you want to happen to your belongings.  

• Instructions for what you want to happen in case you become terminally ill and cannot make decisions later. 

• Contact information of your accountants, solicitors, financial advisors, etc.  

Is a death file the same as a Will? 

No, a death file is not a Will. A death file is not a legal document. Instead, it is a collection of important documents, including your Last Will and Testament for easy access for your family, will solicitor, or executor of your will.  

Death Files are also known as an In Case of Death File, Dead File, Doomsday Book, Death Folder, or Death Binder.  

Why do you need a death file? 

The goal of putting together a death file is to take a proactive first step in organising your end-of-life arrangements. We know it may seem like a daunting task, but it will be extremely helpful for your loved ones in the future, and it could be an activity you can do together. 

Reasons for having a death file: 

1. It provides practical information and important documents for your family, Will solicitor, or executor to carry out your wishes when you die. 

2. It lessens confusion and chaos when someone dies. 

3. It’s a way for you to take control of what you want to happen when you die. 

4. It encourages you to think and talk about your funeral and end-of-life wishes with the people around you. 

5. Putting together your own death file can give you peace of mind about the future. 

Where to store your death file 

Traditionally death files have been physical files, folders or boxes that people use to store their important documents and wishes for when they die. However, physical files can get lost easily or destroyed. It is also more cumbersome to replace hard copies of documents and printed out papers. 

Digital death files have become more common now, making storing, updating and sharing your death file with your loved ones much more seamless.  

You can get started on putting together your death file by planning your funeral and recording your funeral wishes with The Farewell Guide. Try our free funeral planning tool which makes finding a funeral plan and recording your funeral wishes simple and stress-free.  

With The Farewell Guide’s free funeral planning tool you can: 

• Browse and compare thousands of trusted funeral directors and funeral plans near you for free. You only pay if you choose a funeral plan. 

• Record your funeral wishes on our secure platform. You can update these wishes and share them with your loved ones, Will solicitor, or executor. 

• Record anything you want for your funeral including flowers, music, venues, services, funeral extras and more. 

• Store important documents, photographs, contacts, and notes that can be easily shared with whomever you want. 

Support Guide: How To Put Together a Death File 

Read our Support Guide for putting together a death file and getting organised before you die: 

Putting Together A Death File: How to Get Organised Before You Die   

More Support Guides 

How to Talk to Your Family About Funeral Wishes | The Farewell Guide 

Why Don't People Shop Around for Funeral Directors?