What Happens When an American Expat Dies?

*insert punch line here*

But I'm actually serious. I'm in the UK on a Tier 2 visa. My long term goal is UK citizenship (a shorter long term goal is ILR  ), but right now I'm concerned with what will actually happen if I were to die here, before I'm a citizen.

Say I died at home, in my sleep. My coworkers notice notice I don't make it work, and they send someone to my house. They find me dead and then what happens?

I have questions like:

• who would handle/be responsible for my body. What's the process/handover like?
• can I have my funeral/cremation done in the UK?
• do I really need a US will?

I know it sounds morbid, but I am just trying to prepare things for my son if/when the worst happens. I'm working out a list of information for him and trying to figure out a pathway for me to have done what I want. Any suggestions?

*Not sure where to put this, so admins feel free to move it to the most relevant forum.

My wife and I have a will, with a trust set up to take care of the kids.  One person has been designated to handle the money, and another for the kids to live with/ decide where the kids should live. 

Sounds like you need a will.

About the specifics, I’d bet the police would find your body and take responsibility for finding your nearest relatives.  Maybe they would find your Id and figure out where you work and get HR to disclose your next of kin.  If worse comes to worse, they could look at your phone records to see who you have been calling and contact them. 

Either your son or your parents would have to decide what to do with your body and your stuff. 

One bizarre thing is that if you had no family they could find, all your stuff goes to the Queen.  Not sure if she would pay for a funeral, I think the council does that.

To add on to the questions:

I'm a USC married to a UKC living in the UK.  If we had kids and both died, would the kids pretty much have to go to his family who are here?  Or would we have the option of naming my parents as their guardians if we died? 

I actually had a similar thought the other day when I was walking home from work. I wondered what would happen if I got hit by a car and was killed. I don't carry ID on me so I wondered how they would figure out who I was.

I'm going to make a photocopy of my passport and BRP and keep it in my wallet along with my husbands contact information.

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I sent an email to someone I know on my local council, so I'll let you all know what I find out. My son is coming over in December and I sort of want to have a game plan in place in case it happens when I'm single and I have no next of kin in country.

NCTami, wouldn’t your husband eventually wonder where you were and then call the cops who would then put 2 and 2 together? 

Perhaps you guys should put an emergency contact in your phone under ICE.  I think ambulance crews look there for in case of emergency.

NCTami, wouldn’t your husband eventually wonder where you were and then call the cops who would then put 2 and 2 together? 

Perhaps you guys should put an emergency contact in your phone under ICE.  I think ambulance crews look there for in case of emergency.

He may or he may think his worst fears came true which is I realized I'm too good for him, I missed America or any of his other crazy insecurity laden ideas and I just buggered off back home. Lol



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NCTami, wouldn’t your husband eventually wonder where you were and then call the cops who would then put 2 and 2 together? 

Perhaps you guys should put an emergency contact in your phone under ICE.  I think ambulance crews look there for in case of emergency.

This is similar to what I do. My husband's name begins with an A so it comes up first in my phone book.  And then I have (Husband) like that after his name in the contact info.

To add on to the questions:

I'm a USC married to a UKC living in the UK.  If we had kids and both died, would the kids pretty much have to go to his family who are here?  Or would we have the option of naming my parents as their guardians if we died?

We have wills and elected family in the USA in case we kick the bucket.  Our UK family is aware of the arrangement.  If my inlaws croak, we get the dogs.   

It's always a smart idea to have these conversations.  My parents are still undecided on burial or cremation.  I'd like for them to make up their minds so I don't have to pick.

It's always a smart idea to have these conversations.

Very true.  We don't have kids yet but I don't want them to automatically go to my in laws if we died just because we live here--I'd like us to make an informed decision together about it.   

An interesting (if a wee bit morbid) thread.
Is it the case that the US and UK don't recognize wills from the other? So one should have two wills? Since would have assets in both countries, this adds yet another layer of fun.

We have a will in both US and U.K. and we're advised to for asset reasons (rather than kids). The lawyer here in the U.K. said it is easier to have someone in this country manage the money (we were originally thinking of my sibling in the States) but that may be due to the named guardians being residents here...


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Kind of strange this coming up now. My wife (UK) has been putting off sitting down and going through the steps of what to do if I go kaput. We finally sat down today and she has begun to write down what to do with my US pension, future social security, Govt retirement account etc. How to contact people to get things solved. Needed to be done. Another sit down will probably be enough to sort through things well enough.

My husband kept putting it off because he really didn't want anything to go to his son (long story) or his grandsons. He kept saying "I wish we didn't have anything". I kept saying "but we do, so we need to decide where it goes." We made wills, and mine had more specifics because I had money in IRAs that were set up well before we got married, plus there was a likelihood that I would also have an inheritance. He first bypassed his son in favor of the grandsons - then changed to exclude them and leave to his son. He may yet decide to change the will again.

I am in the process of re-doing my will since my father just passed, and there will be an inheritance. Not a huge amount, but enough that it has to be addressed.

I would advise anyone of any age to do a will and update as needed. Also, make sure your wishes are known w/r/t cremation, burial, whatever. IMHO, It takes a load off the survivors, and will give you some peace as well.