What to do when

someone dies

A loved one may pass away in hospital or at home, in either situation it can be a very difficult time, especially if you haven't experienced it before.  The following steps will hopefully help to know what to do next.

1

As soon as someone dies, you need to call the doctor.  They’ll issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.  If they've passed away at the hospital, you can move to the next stage of this process.

2

You then need to arrange with a funeral director (like us) for them to collect the deceased to take them into their care. 

3

Next, you should register the death in a local register office in the area where your loved one passed.  (You’ll need to take identification documents).  The registration process is free, but you’ll need to pay for Certificates (about £11 each), you normally only need one or two to show to other 3rd parties (e.g. Banks) proof of death.

4

Now it’s time to arrange the funeral.  You can choose your funeral director for the funeral stage and organise the funeral arrangements with them.  This can be a different funeral director to the one who collected the body.  Feel free to choose someone that you feel comfortable with.

Note: The passing of your loved one may have come as a surprise and you may not be prepared for the costs that may be involved.  Sadly not all Funeral Directors (unlike us) show all 3rd party costs (also called disbursements).  Please be aware that different cemeteries and crematoriums charge different prices, you have the right to choose where you’d like your loved one to go to.  Although it may not be about price, you could save several hundred pounds by using a different venue.

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