Dealing with the administrative details after death

When there’s a death in the family, right in the midst of the shock and grief, are a whole set of practical considerations that need to be dealt with. If you are supporting someone who is nearing the end of their life, it can be useful to take some time to understand ahead of time, what will need to be done in the days and weeks following their death. Here we set out some of the main things to be prepared for.

The moments after death

What happens in the moments after somebody dies (when the death is expected) depends on where it takes place.

In a care facility/hospital/hospice

The team on duty will notify the on-call doctor, who will confirm the death and document the cause. You will usually be able to stay with the person’s body until you are ready to call a funeral director. They will transport the body to their funeral home and wait for your instructions.

At home

You will need to call the person’s doctor to see if they can come to the house to confirm the death and complete a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. If the person dies during the night, you can wait until the morning to call. If the doctor can’t come to the house, you can call a funeral director who will liaise with them and arrange to take the body to the doctor’s premise for the examination. The funeral director will then take the body to their funeral home.

In each situation, the doctor will provide you with a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. You must have this certificate before a burial or cremation can go ahead.

NOTE: You do not have to use a funeral director. Anyone can transport a body or organise a funeral service, burial, or cremation, provided the proper paperwork is completed and that local health regulations are followed.

Within the first 24 hours

Establish who has authority to act

There are lots of decisions that need to be made after someone dies, and this authority is generally given to the executor of the will, or the person’s next-of-kin if there is no will or it is yet to be found. The next-of-kin can nominate another family member to act on their behalf.

Contact the person’s solicitor

If you’re unsure whether there is a will, or if there are any existing arrangements in place, contact the person’s solicitor. They can also let you know if there are any final wishes with regards to a funeral or memorial service.

Meet with the funeral director

The funeral director will need to know who has the authority to make decisions about the person after their death and who to work with when it comes to organising a funeral service if you choose to have one. There is no legal requirement to have either a funeral or memorial service.

They will talk to you about options for burial or cremation, after-care options, the funeral service itself (if you choose to have one) and any cultural or religious considerations. You can also talk to the funeral director about having the person’s body at home for family and friends to visit.

Organise bereavement leave

Bereavement leave is paid leave you can take from work when someone close to you dies and you meet certain criteria. Let your employer know what has happened as soon as possible, and that you want to apply for bereavement leave.

In the week following

If you choose to have a funeral service, this is the time to plan the service and let wider family and friends know about it. You may wish to organise a death notice in the local paper or online.

Planning the funeral

The funeral director will work through all the elements of the funeral service with you, but it’s a good idea to have discussed several areas ahead of time:

• The type of casket (one of our teams Mum’s wants a brightly painted cardboard one!)

• A list of people who would like to speak or be involved in other ways, like handing out service sheets or carrying the casket

• Any special pieces of music, poems or other readings to include

• Whether it needs to be livestreamed for friends and family overseas

• Organising clothes for the person who has died

• Photos of the person for the service sheet and for during the service

Paying for a funeral

The cost of a funeral is usually paid for from the estate (money from everything owned) of the person who has died. Or they might have had insurance or a funeral trust with money in it, and their solicitor should have these details.

Funeral costs are usually the first expense paid from the estate, but if it takes time for money to be released the family may need to cover the costs and then be refunded later. Talk to the funeral director to get a clear idea of all the costs involved while you’re planning the service.

Choosing a final resting place

The person’s culture, religion, family tradition or final wishes might guide this decision, and you can also discuss options with your funeral director. Ashes can be kept in an urn, buried or scattered. If you decide to scatter their ashes, you need to be aware of any local bylaws or cultural restrictions in the place you choose.

If possible, have this discussion with the person before they die so their wishes can be clearly recorded in a will or other document. It can help avoid differences of opinion later.

Following the burial or cremation

A death must be registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages within three working days of the burial or cremation. It’s free to register a death. If you’re using a funeral director, they’ll register the death for you. You’ll need to give them some personal information about the person who died.

In the weeks following

If you’re the person’s representative then you may need to apply through the courts for ‘probate’, which is a term meaning having legal permission to deal with their assets and liabilities (debts).

This is also the time to notify banks, insurance and utility companies of the person’s death and to close any associated accounts. Again, the executor of the will or whoever is authorised to act on behalf of the person’s estate will need to do this.

Some institutions may ask for proof of identity or a letter from a lawyer and a copy of the death certificate before they can take any action on the person’s accounts. Some of the things they will need to do include:

• Contacting their bank/s to freeze accounts, debit and credit cards

• Contacting the tax department to tidy up any tax or other financial affairs

• Cancelling any benefits or pension payments to avoid owing money

• Contacting their insurance company to stop any payments and get details of any life or funeral insurance policies so funds can be released

• Contacting utility companies (power, gas, water) to close or transfer the accounts

• Cancelling any subscription services like mobile phones, internet, or streaming services

• Cancelling their passport

• Cancelling their driver’s licence and vehicle ownership

• Closing any social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter (each site has specific advice for how to do this)

Be as prepared as you can

If it’s at all possible, try to have a discussion with the person well ahead of time about the sort of funeral service they might like and anything else it might be helpful to know – like whether they have made a will and who their solicitor is. Any steps you can take now to gather information can help to lessen the stress at an already difficult time.

Another way to be fully prepared is to have a secure digital filing system with all the relevant documentation, contact details and checklists ready to hand. If this sounds useful, check out the Elderflowers Hub, a great preprepared virtual filing system, specifically designed to help you set up and manage all the details.