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What to do when someone dies
When someone dies, please contact us and we can help you through the next steps you need to take. Whether the death is expected or unexpected it will come as a shock. If the death is expected either at home, hospital, or a nursing home, there will more than likely be a statement of intent in place. A doctor will still have to certify the death and he/she will fill out a medical certificate of cause of death that will need to be collected by the next of kin / executor in order for registration of notification of a death to take place. If the death in unexpected then the police will need to be called and they will notify the coroner who will send out a coroners representive to take care of the deceased until they have ascertained a cause of death. All these steps seem very confusing at such a vunerable and upsetting time, we pride ourselves in taking time to get to know our families, to alleviate fear and uncertainty due to our knowledge, ease, compassion and empathy towards our families and their loved one. The majority of families we have helped look to us as friends rather than us ‘providing a service’.
Obtain a medical certificate of cause of death
As soon as a loved one passes away you should call a doctor. The doctor will be able to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and they should also be able to answer any of your questions.
Registering The Death
The death must be registered in the country where your loved one has died. To do this you will need to locate your nearest register office in the area where the death has occurred and allow them to make an appointment for you. Please be aware you will need to take certain documents with you such as the deceased's passport and Birth Certificate.
Make Funeral Arrangements
After the above has been done the family should begin to make funeral arrangements for their loved one with their chosen funeral director. Many things need to be considered during a funeral arrangement. Your loved one may have had their own specific wishes before their passing and if so we advise following these very closely. If your loved one did not have any specific wishes for their funeral then the family can decide how they would like the arrangements. Dootson & Harrison Funeral Services guide families every step of the way during the funeral arrangements, prior to them and after the funeral has taken place.
Deal with legalities
Estates must be dealt with therefore if your loved one left behind a will, the named executor will be the one to deal with the estate. However if no will was written before your loved one passed away one relative will be named the 'administrator' for this to be dealt with. Click here for more information.
Tell Us Once
You should inform Tell Us Once about the death of a loved one within the first 2 weeks of the death. They will tell authorities and government services about the passing of your loved one which means that you wont have to separately contact each authority.
