Registering a death
All deaths have to be registered by the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths, in the county where the death has occurred. Ideally this should be within 5 working days of the death.
In order for registration to take place, the doctor’s surgery that the person who has died was registered with needs to email the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) to the registrars. If the person died in hospital, they will do this. Some surgeries will let you know that this has been done, and some won’t. If in doubt, it is advisable to phone them to see if this has been sent.
Registration has to be completed in person at a Registrar’s Office: There are no options to register over the phone or online.
Notifying companies of a death
Phoning up different companies to tell them of the death can be difficult and emotionally draining.
We have partnered with LifeLedger, a free and simple service, to make this as easy as possible.
LifeLedger is a simple way for the bereaved to contact all of the businesses connected with their loved one removing the need to repeat the same difficult conversation. An account takes minutes to set up and can send notifications to over 700 UK companies.You can use LifeLedger to send notifications to banks, utlitiy companies and subscriptions to name just a few.
How to organise your loved one’s possessions
After a funeral, going through your loved ones belongings and trying to decide what do with the items presents a significant challenge and is by far one of the hardest parts of the journey through bereavement.
There are cupboards, drawers and wardrobes to tackle, as well as the garage, the loft and the pile of papers that may have accumulated since the death occurred.
How to write a eulogy?
Almost half (42%) of adults surveyed in the UK have not heard of the term ‘eulogy’.
Eulogies are the words that are spoken during a gathering that refer specifically to the character and life of the person who has died.
In being asked to deliver a eulogy, you have been offered the trust of the close friends and family and as long as you write from the heart your eulogy will be gratefully accepted by everyone present.
How to write an obituary?
The aim of an obituary is to notify the public of the death. It’s a short piece of text that gets displayed in local or national newspapers and now also online. Essentially, they are mini-biographies of someone’s life.
How to organise a wake?
Following a funeral service, family members often hold a less formal reception, known as a wake. It’s an opportunity for the deceased friends and family to remember the life and share memories together.
There are no rules about refreshments after a funeral service and who should be invited to the wake is totally up to you. A wake is a nice opportunity for people to show their respects if they were unable to attend the funeral. Likewise, others might only attend the funeral and not the wake. A wake may or may not be also a chance for children to attend. Adding a line in the order of service is advised so funeral attendees will know the details and arrangements following the service. It can also be added to the end of the obituary or you can ask the person leading the service to make an announcement. Some wakes can be completely private, but it might be worth sending out invitations to those you wish to attend.
