Bereavement advice

Before someone can be buried, you must have a Medical Certificate signed by a doctor. This is then given to the Registrar of Births and Deaths who keeps it and then issues the certificate for burial.You should find out if the person has already arranged...

No-one can be cremated until the cause of death is definitely known. The crematorium usually needs: An application form signed by the next of kin or executor, and either, Two cremation certificates (the first signed by the treating doctor and another ...

Check the will to see if the person who has died has given any instructions for their funeral. It is generally up to the executor or next of kin to decide whether to have a cremation or burial. The executor does not have to follow the instructions left ...

Friends, family, clergy or your doctor may be able to suggest a local company with a good reputation. If not, most local firms are listed in the Yellow Pages. Remember that charges can vary considerably from firm to firm.You may want to contact or ...

Many people choose to use a professional funeral director to organise a funeral. They do this partly because it is easier, at what is usually a stressful time.You can organise a funeral without the help of a funeral director, but you should ask the ...

Do not make final funeral arrangements until you are sure that you do not have to report the death to the coroner. This may affect the date when the funeral can be held.Find out if there is a will, as this may give details of what the person wanted for ...