Organising a Funeral - Useful Information
Before arranging a funeral it is important to check if the
deceased left any instructions with the will regarding their
wishes. It may be that they wanted to donate their body for medical
research or donate their organs for transplantation. Funeral
arrangements may have already been made using a pre-payment plan or
specific instructions may have been left concerning the funeral
service itself. If there is a will, the executor has the right to
decide whether it should be a burial or cremation (even if the Will
expresses a particular wish). If there is no Will, the next of kin
should decide.
By law, a death must be registered. This is usually done in the
county or borough in which the death occurred, although it is
possible to register the death in another area by arrangement.
In order to register a death, the registry office will require
the following:
- Certificate of cause of death
- Full name of the deceased (if married female, the maiden name
and her husband's full name will also be required)
- Home address of the deceased
- Date and place of death
- Occupation of the deceased
When the death occurs at home
The nearest relative and family Doctor should be informed. The
Doctor will complete a certificate stating the cause of
death. If cremation is chosen, two Doctors are required to
sign a certificate. The first Doctor will instruct the second
Doctor, who can see the body in the mortuary or chapel of rest. The
Doctors certificate must be taken to the Registrar in the
registration sub-district where the death occurred, normally within
5 days.
When the death occurs in hospital
A certificate will be issued as above, but the hospital may wish
to carry out a post mortem examination of the deceased. Before this
occurs, consent must be obtained from the nearest relative.
When a death occurs suddenly
If the death was sudden, and the Doctor had not seen the patient
within 14 days of death, the Coroner must be informed. The coroner
will decide if it is necessary to carry out a post mortem
examination. If it is decided that the death occurred from natural
causes, the coroner will issue notification to the effect that an
inquest is not required. Alternatively, the coroner may decide that
an inquest should take place in order to establish the cause of
death. Go to sudden death
investigations for more information.
Burial
If a grave has already been purchased, you will need to provide
the deeds or some other documents to show proof of ownership. If a
new grave is required, you should decide in which cemetery the
interment should take place and who will have exclusive right of
burial named on the deed. In Carlisle you may wish to view the
different types of graves available. The funeral director can make
an appointment for you, and a member of staff will show you all the
options.
The funeral director will ensure that all relevant documentation
is delivered to Bereavement Services by 9-00am at least 48 working
hours prior to the burial taking place. For more information
go to Funeral - burials.
Cremation
You will need to advise the Doctor that a cremation is desired,
so that two Doctor's signatures are obtained. In addition to the
Death Certificate, a Form A Application for Cremation is required.
The funeral director will give you all the relevant forms, which
must be completed by the Executor, the nearest surviving relative
and witnessed by any householder to whom the applicant is known.For
more information go to Funeral -
cremations.
As with burial the funeral director will ensure that all the
relevant documentation is delivered to Bereavement Services by
9-30am one full working day prior to the cremation.
