When someone dies there is a short list of things that have to happen, and a long list of things people think have to happen straight away and do not. This is the short list. You can call us at any point in it, day or night, and we will do the rest with you.
1. Get a medical certificate
If the death was expected and happened at home, ring the GP surgery. If it happened in hospital or a hospice, the staff will arrange it. If the death was sudden, dial 999; the police and coroner will take over and nobody will expect you to do anything else that day.
2. Call a funeral director
Once the doctor has confirmed the death, call us. We will come to the house or the hospital, bring your person into our care, and take the paperwork from there. If the death is in hospital there is no hurry: the hospital will look after them until you are ready.
3. Register the death
You have five days to register at the register office in the district where the death happened. Book an appointment, take the medical certificate, and you will come away with the death certificate and the green form that lets the funeral go ahead. We will tell you where to go and what to bring.
4. Then, and only then, think about the funeral
Nothing about the funeral needs deciding in the first forty-eight hours. When you are ready, we will sit down together, usually at your home, and go through what you want. You will have a written estimate before you agree to anything.
