Loading
Loading…
If something happened to you tomorrow, could your family find your will, your accounts, your pensions and your passwords? A death folder means they never have to play detective. Start with the free checklist below.
What goes in it
The documents, accounts and wishes your family will need. Use it as a checklist now — then keep it somewhere your executor can find it.
A death folder is a single, organised place that holds everything your family will need to settle your affairs after you die — your will, accounts, property, pensions, passwords, key contacts and final wishes. You will also see it called a "when I die" file, an "in case of death" file, or simply part of getting your affairs in order. Whatever you call it, the job is the same: it is the practical map your executor uses to find and value everything. It is not a legal document in itself, and it does not replace a valid will — it sits alongside one.
Around 59% of UK adults do not have a will (IRN Legal Reports, 2025) — and even those who do rarely leave a map to their assets. When someone dies, the executor must locate every account, policy and document before they can apply for probate and distribute the estate, which varies widely but commonly takes 9–12 months from death to final distribution. Without a death folder, that begins with weeks of detective work: ringing banks, hunting through drawers, guessing at online logins. A death folder turns that scramble into a single, calm handover.
Four steps. First, gather the essentials using the checklist above. Second, record where things are rather than just copies — note which bank holds which account, and where the signed original of your will is kept. Third, add access notes safely: list your online accounts and where the passwords live (in a password manager or encrypted vault), but never write passwords into the will itself. Fourth, tell your executor the folder exists and how to reach it — a folder no one can find is a common and avoidable mistake.
Somewhere secure but findable. A locked drawer or fireproof box works if your executor knows about it; an encrypted digital vault works if you want to control exactly who sees what, and when. One rule matters above all: keep passwords and account details out of your will. In England and Wales, once probate is granted a will becomes a public document, so anything written in it stops being private. Store credentials separately — in a password manager or an encrypted store such as Beqst — and let the folder simply point your executor to them.
These three do different jobs and work best together. A will says who inherits and names your executor, and only takes effect after death. In England and Wales, a Lasting Power of Attorney lets someone you trust make decisions for you if you lose mental capacity while you are still alive. A death folder is neither a legal document nor a substitute for either — it is the organised record that makes both usable in practice, so your executor and attorney are not left guessing. This is general information, not legal advice.
A paper "kitchen-drawer" file is better than nothing, but it goes out of date the moment you open a new account, and it can be lost, damaged, or found too late. A living digital version stays current, can be updated in minutes, and lets you decide precisely what your executor sees and when. That is what Beqst is built for: keep your will, assets, credentials and final wishes in one encrypted place, and hand over access on your terms.
Last reviewed June 2026 against GOV.UK and HMRC sources. Beqst is a UK estate-organisation tool, not a law firm; this guide is general information, not legal advice.
Free template
Add your email and we'll send your checklist straight over — a clean PDF to download, print or share, for yourself or someone you love. We'll send occasional, genuinely useful updates too (no spam, unsubscribe anytime).
Kept safe
A death folder holds your most sensitive information. If you store it with Beqst, every sensitive field is encrypted with AES-256 on UK-based infrastructure, and you decide exactly what your executor can see — and when.
Related reading
Plain-English guides on the admin a death folder helps your family avoid.