When someone with no family dies

[thereisonlyoneofme]

Hopefully a solicitor who deals with wills etc can advise.
When someone who has no family dies but has made a will appointing solicitors
to deal with funeral, estate etc. how are they notified of the death and how does all the paperwork involved in settling bills etc work if everything, all banking etc is on line?

Presumably the person;a property is searched by the police / coroner and when they find the will they pass it into the executors?

Are you ok, @thereisonlyoneofme?

If there's no know family, it falls to the local council to arrange a public health funeral they will send a council officer to visit the property of the deceased and search for any will etc.

A representative from social services searched the persons house with a police officer and me (worked for her church, they found us because she had a service sheet in her handbag when they found her) the landlord also helped with records. We didn't find family in this case. In other cases the person died in hospital so we were in contact with medical staff and could tell them who the solicitor was (I keep records for people without family on their request). If you don't have a connect like a church leave typed clear instructions when you have made a solicitor type arrangement in a couple of easy to find locations eg desk / bureau, the kitchen drawer with the paperwork in - officials are used to this unfortunately. And do tell your friends, neighbours, employer etc