Help & Advice

The First Steps

Within five days (including weekends and bank holidays), you should register the person’s death, usually at the Registry Office closest to the place of death. The registration of death should be completed by a relative or the executor of the will. Most Registry Offices require that you make an appointment beforehand, and you will need a medical certificate off the GP or hospital doctor before you can register.

Once you have registered the death, please contact us for further guidance and assistance with the funeral arrangements. We are here to help you.

The steps depending on the location of death differ. More information regarding these steps can be found below:

At Home or in a Nursing Home

If a person has passed away in their home or residential address, their doctor (G.P) should be called immediately. The doctor will attend to confirm that the person has passed away and will advise when the death certificate can be collected by the next-of-kin.

At this point, please contact us so that we can bring the deceased into our care. If you would like the deceased to remain at home for a short period, please advise us as soon as possible, and we will give you guidance on this.

In a Hospital

If a person passes away at a hospital, the relevant doctor (or family liaison officer) will advise the next-of-kin the necessary steps involved in collecting the death certificate.

Until the paperwork has been completed, it is likely the person who has passed will remain at the premises. It is important at this point that you contact us and explain that our services will be required. We will then liaise with the hospital to make the necessary arrangements, and will help and advise you on what to do next.

Once the death certificate has been collected by the next-of-kin, an appointment must be made with the Registrar. The Registrar will issue the next-of-kin with a green certificate for burial or cremation. We will need this green form to collect the person who has passed from the hospital.

An Unexpected Death

If a loved one has experienced an unexpected death, we advise that you contact the police immediately. Typically, a report by the police is forwarded on to the Coroner’s office who will then speak to the family once they have established the circumstances.

We recommend that you contact us a day or two later. A provisional funeral service date can then be made, and we will also liaise with the Coroner’s Office and help with the arrangements.