What To Do If Someone Dies
The process you need to follow when a loved one dies can feel overwhelming. Follow our straightforward guide to understand the steps you need to take.
1. Obtain a medical certificate to record the cause of death.
If the death occurred at home, you will need to contact your doctor to attend and issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. In a medical or care home setting, the nursing staff or warden will advise you when to collect the death certificate.
2. Register the death within 5 days if you are in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, you have 8 days to register a death.
You must register the death in the country where the person died. You can find your local register office in the UK through www.gov.uk.
If your loved one dies abroad you will need to follow the steps of repatriation www.gov.uk.
When you register the death you will usually need to take along the passport and birth certificate of the deceased.
3. Choose a funeral director and start making arrangements. A good funeral director will guide and support you and your family through this process. As well as arranging for your loved one to be taken into their care, you can arrange a time and date for the funeral.
With so many options for funerals you may find it helpful to meet one of our team at Sewardstone to sit down and make a plan together. We are of course also available to talk over the phone or email if this is more practical for you. To help you with planning a funeral to reflect the unique life of your loved one, here is a short checklist of details to consider:
- Type of coffin - e.g. wood, willow
- Transport for the loved one’s coffin and for close family members
- Clothing for the loved one
- Pallbearers - are there any special family members or friends who it may be appropriate to involve?
- Readings, poems and eulogies
- Music to play during the service
- Flowers
- Memorial to place at the graveside or a special marker
- Charitable donations
- Order of service
- Placement of obituaries and funeral notices in local or national papers and/or online
- Venue and catering for the wake
4. Check if you are entitled to bereavement benefits
You may be eligible for financial support - check here to see if this applies.
5. Handling the estate.
If there is a will, the named executor will deal with this. In other circumstances a relative may be appointed. In the early days this person should notify relevant organisations of the person’s death. In most cases you will need to contact banks, credit card companies, Royal Mail, utility companies, employer and a landlord or mortgage provider. You will also need to deal with email and social media accounts.
You may need to apply for probate before you can deal with the property, money and possessions (the ‘estate’) of the loved one.
From choosing flowers and a local florist to suggesting a heartfelt reading - our experienced and compassionate Sewardstone team is here to help. We know how important the details are when planning a funeral, burial or cremation and we believe in getting it right.