Someone has just died. What do I do now?

Situation 1

Natural death in hospital

1. The hospital doctor who cared for the person issues the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
2. Ask the hospital's Medical Records office whether they have already sent it to the Registrar electronically. If they have, you may not need to take it yourself.
3. If not, take the certificate to the Local District Registrar at the hospital or in the district where the death happened. They register the death and issue the Burial Order.
4. Your chosen funeral home collects the body once the Burial Order is issued.
5. Apply for the death certificate from the ORG.

Situation 2

Natural death at home, with a doctor

1. Contact the doctor who was treating the person. If they treated them recently, they can issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
2. If the police attend, tell them which doctor will sign. Where a doctor will sign, you may usually use the funeral home of your choice.
3. Take the certificate to the Local District Registrar to register the death and get the Burial Order.
4. Your chosen funeral home collects the body, and you apply for the death certificate.

Situation 3

Sudden death

This applies when the death was unexpected and no doctor can sign the cause of death.

1. Call the police. A post-mortem is always carried out after a sudden death.
2. The body is usually taken to a government-appointed funeral home until the post-mortem is done.
3. A family member must identify the body. The police cannot do this for you.
4. After the post-mortem, the police issue the Burial Order. The coroner's court then issues Form D, often called the "pink form".
5. Take Form D to the ORG. They direct you to the Local District Registrar to sign as the informant.
6. The body is released to your chosen funeral home, and you apply for the death certificate.

Situation 4

Accidental, violent or suspicious death

Follow the steps for a sudden death. In addition:

1. Write down the investigating officer's name and police station.
2. The post-mortem report normally goes to the police and the courts, not the family.
3. If identity is in doubt, DNA testing can take several months, and the body stays at the government-appointed funeral home.
4. Investigations can take a long time. We help you plan the funeral around what is known.

Situation 5

Stillbirth

A stillbirth is registered separately from a death. The hospital will explain the first steps. Please call us and we will guide you gently through the rest.