What To Do When A Loved One Dies
At a time of upset and distress it is always difficult to know exactly what to do when a loved one dies, the decisions to be made and the action to be taken can be extremely confusing.
Your first steps are to ensure that you register the death at a Registry office within five days of the death. Therefore it is recommended that you telephone the local Registry office to make an appointment as soon as possible.
Once the registrar is satisfied with all of the information provided, the person registering the death will be given the opportunity to review the information entered by the registrar before signing the register. The person registering the death will then be given copies of the death certificate and all the documentation required to complete funeral arrangements.
You should then start to arrange the funeral. It is advisable to establish whether or not the deceased left a Will first. If they did, it is common for such a document to include requests for their funeral arrangements.
If a funeral director is being used you should note that if you instruct a funeral director to arrange the funeral you will be responsible for paying their costs. It is therefore important to establish whether the deceased left sufficient funds to pay the funeral director’s bill before arrangements are made. Some people pay money into certain schemes or pay for their funeral in advance so this should be checked.
If the deceased has insufficient funds to meet the costs of the funeral the local council or health authority will sometimes contribute. In addition it may be possible to obtain some assistance in the form of a Social Fund Funeral Payment. However if arrangements are made with a funeral director before funding is checked it should be noted that ultimately the funeral director will require payment to be made by the person who arranged the funeral.
If the deceased left money in their bank accounts most banks will release money to pay for the funeral upon receipt of a copy of the death certificate and the funeral directors bill.
At Williamsons we are here to help and give friendly, professional advice to anyone who requires our assistance regarding what to do when a loved one dies.
Contact our Hull, Bridlington or Driffield office and one of our Wills and Probate experts will be able to advise you.Contact details:-
Hull – 01482 323697
Bridlington – 01262 678128
Driffield – 01377 252022
