Mum just died - what do we need to do?

[dandelionfluffy]

Just had word from my DB that my mum died today, it was a very sudden illness, from being at home doing her regular things, driving herself, less than 2 months ago, she was then in hospital and never went home.
I hope we can manage to sort out her affairs amicably, but of course best laid plans.
Just wondering what's next/first? I do tend to find that getting on with things helps me process them, though I'm waiting for things from my DB as well obviously.

DB is off to the hospital later to get paperwork. I gather we don't get a death certificate for several days.

I am executor as is a relative that I suspect DM thought would be able to help us but though he is sensible he is not as specialist as DM probably thought.

I know we'll need probate as she owned her own home, divorced for many years from my DF though amicably. She's left it to us (though DB and I both have 2 DCs and she may have left a proportion to them as well/instead, I know that for children/grandchildren the IHT threshold is increased), and the house is worth over the lower but not over the higher threshold (if you leave it to children).

DM had quite a few antiques and I think we have to have the contents valued? And then apply for probate once we know the value of the antiques?
I've read people just sometimes use a website like mouseprices to value the home - can we just ask a family member (e.g. my DF) to check which antiques might be valuable? Or do they expect proof?

I have no idea if she had life insurance. I know she had an occupational pension and some state pension.

DB and family are staying in DM house currently so there isn't an insurance issue I think. There's been someone there most weeks since DM went into hospital. All her paperwork is there (and it's quite organised) and DB has access to her laptop/phone.

Also fairly unusually (and I've NCd in case this is identifying though I'm a long standing MN user, cancel the cheque, naice ham) DM has left her body to medical science. I gather that sometimes they do not accept bodies, but I guess we'll have to see. This means we can have a memorial service whenever we want, I think.

Apologies @dandelionfluffy - I've been back through your posts on this thread and can only see mention of the property your mum lived in, not of any others.

And you haven't really given an indication of the likely value of the estate - are you sure there will be IHT to pay ? As your parents were divorced the estate will have an allowance of £325k plus another £175k as you say the property is being left to descendants. So if the estate is worth less than £500k there'll be no inheritance tax to pay, although you will have to complete a load of IHT forms if you need to claim the £175k residential allowance.

I've been trying to help but will bow out now - I wish you well.

My post about the flat.
I do appreciate that it is possible that her house plus the flat she owned might not, together, attract IHT, but though her house is under the "leave to children" threshold, when you add it together with the rental flat it is over the threshold.
Plus her shares and various savings accounts, we are discovering more each day it seems.