Death notices and obituaries in the UK: what they are and how to place one

When someone dies, most families want to let people know. A death notice and an obituary are the two main ways of making a public announcement, and they are often confused. They serve different purposes, involve different costs, and reach different audiences.

This guide explains what each one is, the difference between them, where to place them, and what to include.

What is a death notice?

A death notice is a short, paid announcement that a death has occurred. It is the functional equivalent of a classified advertisement. The family writes it, pays for it, and chooses where it appears.

A death notice typically includes:

• The deceased's full name

• Date of death

• Age or date of birth

• Brief details of immediate family (survived by, or predeceased by)

• Date, time, and location of the funeral or memorial service

• Any instructions about flowers or charitable donations

Death notices are brief by design. Most are between 30 and 100 words. The purpose is to inform people of the death and give them what they need to attend the funeral or pay their respects.

What is an obituary?

An obituary is a more substantial piece of writing that celebrates the life of the person who died. Where a death notice announces a death, an obituary marks it.

A family-written obituary typically includes:

• The facts of the death (name, date, age)

• A biographical account: where the person was born, grew up, worked, and lived

• Their relationships, interests, and achievements

• Surviving family members and those who predeceased them

• The funeral or memorial details

• Donation or flower preferences

Obituaries are longer than death notices, sometimes significantly so. They can run to several hundred words in a local newspaper or much longer on a dedicated memorial website.

For prominent or public figures, national newspapers write obituaries themselves without the family's involvement. For everyone else, the family either writes the obituary or works with a funeral director who can help.

The key differences

The terms are often used interchangeably, and even newspapers sometimes blur them, but the practical distinction is straightforward:

A death notice is brief, paid for by the family, and focused on the facts of the death and funeral arrangements. It is primarily a notification.

An obituary is longer, more personal, and focused on the life of the person. It is primarily a tribute.

Some families place both: a short death notice in several papers while the funeral is imminent, and a longer obituary in one local paper after it has passed.

Where to place a death notice or obituary

Local newspapers

Local newspapers remain the most common choice for death notices in the UK. They reach the community the person lived in and are where most people still look.

Most local papers can be contacted directly through their websites. Funeral directors will usually offer to handle the placement on the family's behalf, which can save time when there is already a great deal to organise.

National newspapers

National newspapers in the UK (the Guardian, The Times, Daily Telegraph, and others) maintain dedicated death notice and obituary sections. These are typically used for people who had a wide professional or public profile, or when the family wants broader reach.

Placement in national papers is significantly more expensive than local papers and is charged by word count or line.

The Gazette

The London Gazette and its regional equivalents (Edinburgh Gazette, Belfast Gazette) are the UK's official public record. Death notices are sometimes placed in The Gazette as part of the statutory advertising process during estate administration, notifying creditors that an estate is being wound up. This is a specific legal function, separate from the personal announcement of a death.

Online memorial websites

Several UK-based platforms allow families to create online tributes and publish death notices or obituaries that remain accessible indefinitely. These include Legacy.com, FuneralGuide.co.uk, and similar services.

Online notices have the advantage of being easy to share, can include photographs and video, and allow friends and family to leave messages. Some people use them as the primary announcement; others use them alongside a print notice.

Social media

Many families now announce deaths on Facebook or other platforms, either as the main announcement or alongside a formal notice. There is no standard format and no cost. The reach is limited to the family's existing network but can be significant. A Facebook post cannot replace a statutory notice for probate purposes.

How much does a death notice cost?

Costs vary considerably by publication. Local newspapers typically charge between £50 and £300 for a death notice, depending on word count, whether a photograph is included, and the edition in which it appears.

National newspapers charge more. A basic death notice in a national broadsheet can cost several hundred pounds, with longer notices and photos adding to the total.

Online platforms may charge a one-off fee for a permanent page, or offer basic listings free with paid upgrades.

Funeral directors often include basic death notice placement as part of their service, or can arrange it at newspaper rates without a markup. It is worth asking.

What to include in a death notice

There is no legal format, but a clear death notice covers the essentials:

• Full name (and maiden name if applicable)

• Date of death and age

• Location of death (optional; many families omit this for privacy)

• Immediate family: spouse or partner, children, grandchildren, siblings, as appropriate

• Funeral or memorial details: date, time, location

• Whether the funeral is public or private

• Flower or donation preferences

• A contact name for further information (optional)

Avoid including the full home address of the deceased. Circulating it publicly can create a security risk.

What to include in an obituary

An obituary has room for more. A useful structure:

Opening: name, age, date of death, and a sentence capturing who they were.

Early life: where they were born, grew up, and were educated.

Career and achievements: what they did, what they were known for, what they contributed.

Personal life: relationships, family, interests, character. The things that made them themselves.

Later years and death: how they spent their later years and the circumstances of their death (as much as the family wants to share).

Surviving family: who they leave behind.

Funeral details and donation instructions.

Obituaries are personal and there is no wrong approach. Some families write them as a tribute; others write them as a record. The test is whether the person reading it gets a sense of who the person was.

Using a funeral director

Most funeral directors can help with death notices and obituaries as part of their service. They know the local papers, understand the formats required, and can take on the admin at a time when families are managing a great deal.

If you are writing the obituary yourself and want it placed in a newspaper, the funeral director can handle submission and billing. If you would like help writing it, some funeral directors offer this, as do dedicated bereavement support services.

A note on statutory notices

The death notice placed in a newspaper to announce a funeral is different from the statutory advertisement placed in The Gazette as part of estate administration. The statutory notice is a legal step in probate: it notifies potential creditors of the estate and protects the executor from future liability. It does not serve the same function as a personal announcement and is not a substitute for one.

For more on the probate process, see our guide on what is probate in the UK.