Registering a death

In most cases you will need to register the death of your loved one within five days and it is best to visit the Register Office in the area in which the person passes away. This can help avoid delays getting the necessary documents.

If the Coroner is involved you will be advised when to register the death and we will guide you through this process in step by step detail.

We can advise you on the procedure for registering a death. Below is a guide that can help, but please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

The Following People Can Register a Death:

• Any relative of the person who has passed away
• Any person present at the death
• A person who lives in the house where the person passed away
• An official from the hospital / nursing home
• The person arranging the funeral (this cannot be a Funeral Director)

If the person passes away anywhere else the death can be registered by:

• A relative
• Someone present at the death
• The person who found the deceased
• The person in charge of the deceased
• The person making the funeral arrangements with the Funeral Director

Please Note; most deaths are registered by a relative of the deceased, the registrar would normally only allow one of the other people listed above to carry out the registration if there are no relatives available.

A simple interview with the Registrar to register the death is carried out at the Register Office.

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At the Registrar’s Office:

You should take with you the Medical Certificate issued by the doctor showing the cause of death and the deceased’s Medical Card (it is the number from this which is important and this can be obtained from the deceased’s Doctor’s surgery). You will also require the following information about the deceased:

• Full name
• Marital Status (marriage / civil partnership certificates if available)
• Date of Birth (birth certificate if available)
• Place of Birth (birth certificate if available)
• Occupation
• Maiden Name (if female and married)
• Spouse’s Name
• Spouse’s Date of Birth
• Spouse’s Occupation

The registrar will issue you with:

• A Certificate of Registration of Death, which you should fill in and send to the social security office for the area where the person passes away.
• A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (known as a green form), which you should give to your funeral director as soon as possible.
• Certified copies of the entry of death are also be issued by The Registrar often referred to as “The Death Certificate”, you will need these for official purposes such as Insurers, closing Bank Accounts and Pension Schemes ETC.
• (Please be aware a charge is made by The Registrar for the certified copies).

Caring for your loved one

Once you have entrusted the deceased to our care we will look after them with respect and sensitivity. They will rest with us until the day of the funeral or, if you prefer, they can rest at home or in church, if this is allowed.

Our funeral directors will carry out your wishes carefully and respectfully but, if you would like to help us look after your loved one, please let us know.

We will discuss with you your feelings around visiting your loved one in our Chapel of Rest, you will be asked to consider the attire for the deceased, we can provide suitable attire in the way of a gown in a style or colour of your choice or you may like to consider something you are used to seeing them in day to day; a more formal choice may be appropriate and we are here to help you make these decisions and to make your experience in our Chapel of Rest a peaceful and lasting memory of your loved one at rest.

We care for your loved ones as we would wish our own family to be cared for.

Telling others about your loss

You may wish to tell people about the death and the details of the funeral, by putting an announcement in a newspaper whether local or national. We can help you with drafting and sending a death announcement to a newspaper.

We can also assist after the funeral with placing a message in the newspaper to thank those who attended and sent flowers or donations. We can if you wish take copies for you to keep.