What to do when someone dies
H & A W Palmer Ltd
Funeral Directors
What to do when someone dies
When someone dies at home you should call their doctor so that they can visit and confirm the death. When someone dies at a care home or in hospital, the staff will arrange this for you. A Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be issued.
If a death is sudden or unexpected then a coroner will likely be involved. We can assist you in obtaining the relevant documentation if this is the case.
The death must then be registered either by a close family member or a person present at the death and this must be done within 5 days. You will need to visit a Register office to do this and it is best to visit one in the area where the person died.
When you visit the register Office you will need:
- Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
- Medical Card
- Birth & Marriage Certificates if you have them
- Name, Surname and Maiden name of the deceased
- Date of birth, Town and Country of birth if not the UK
- Postal Address
- Place and date of death
- Occupation and occupation of spouse (if relevant)
- Date and place of birth of surviving widow or widower (if relevant)
The registrar will provide you with
- Registrars Certificate for Burial or Cremation (also known as the “Green Form” this form is for the funeral director)
- Certified copy of Entry in the Register of Deaths (also known as the “White Form” this form is needed for official matters such as closing bank accounts and accessing the will) We recommend that you purchase more than one copy of this form.
- Notification/Registration of Death BD8 (Death certificate for banks, insurance and solicitors)
Useful Contact numbers:
Sudbury
Registrar’s office
0345 607 2080
Bury St. Edmunds
Registrar’s office
0345 607 2060
Braintree
Registrar’s Office
0345 603 7632
West Suffolk
Coroner’s Office
0345 607 2040
