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Arranging a Funeral Arranging a funeral When a death occurs

When someone close passes away, the emotions can be overwhelming.
At the same time there are a number of practical and legal decisions that need to be made.

From your first call we will clearly explain what has to be done at this time. Our staff are available 24 hours, 7 days a week to offer advice and explain your options. We will immediately organise the necessary paperwork for the deceased to be transferred into our care. We will arrange a convenient time to meet with you and discuss the funeral service, which can be at our office, in the comfort your home or any other convenient place.

What you need to do at this time will depend on where the person has passed away. We have outlined what happens in some of the more common situations:

Hospital

If a person passes away in a Hospital, the staff will arrange for all the necessary paper work. A Medical Death Certificate may not be issued immediately. Hospitals have full mortuary facilities to care for the deceased. We will contact the hospital to arrange the paperwork and the transfer of the person into our care. Family or friends may be able to spend some time with the person depending on the circumstances at the hospital.

Nursing Home

If a person passes away at a Nursing Home, the staff will arrange for all the necessary paperwork. If you are considering a cremation you should let the staff know, as extra paperwork is required from the doctor. You can contact us directly or the Nursing Home staff will contact us to arrange to transfer the deceased into our care. Family or friends may want to spend time with the deceased before the transfer takes place. Let the nursing staff know and we will arrange for the transfer to take place at a time that suits you.

Home

When a person passes away at home, the doctor who has been attending the person should be contacted. If the doctor is satisfied as to the cause of death, they will issue a Medical Death Certificate. You should let the doctor know if you are planning a cremation as extra paperwork is required. Once the doctor has issued a death certificate we are then able to transfer the deceased into our care. Family or friends may wish to spend some time with the deceased before the transfer takes place. Let our staff know and we will arrange for the transfer to take place at a time that suits you.

Unexpected

If the death is sudden or accidental, or a doctor is not able to issue a Medical Death Certificate, then the police should be contacted and the Coroner will become involved. The police will organise for the person to be transferred to the Coroner’s mortuary. If a person is taken to the Coroners it does not automatically mean that there will be an autopsy. The Coroner may only need to review a person’s medical records and conclude that a Death Certificate can be issued. A counsellor will assist you throughout your dealings with the Coroner’s office and keep you informed of the procedures and your options. You should still contact us as soon as possible so we can liaise with the Coroner’s office and advise you on what will happen. We can begin to make the funeral arrangements with you, but we can not to confirm the date of the service until the Coroner has issued the necessary paperwork.

Overseas

If occurs interstate or overseas, it is advisable to contact us as soon as possible so we can make arrangements to transfer the person home. We will attend to all the legal and statutory requirements and keep you informed throughout the process. It is also common for people who were born overseas to want to return to home for a funeral service. Again, you should contact us immediately, and we can begin to liaise with the Consulate and relevant Australian government departments to arrange all the necessary documentation for the overseas transfer to occur.

Feel free to contact us 24 hours / 7 days for advice about what to do in any of the above situations.

The Death Certificate

There are three certificates that are commonly referred to as a Death Certificate:

Medical Certificate of Cause of Death

This is the certificate issued by a doctor who has attended the person within the previous six months. It is necessary to have a Medical Death Certificate (or an Interim Death Certificate, see below) before the Funeral Director can transfer the deceased.

Interim Death Certificate

This is a certificate issued by a medical practitioner stating that the person has passed away. It is needed when the person’s doctor is not available. It allows the Funeral Director to transfer the deceased.

The Death Certificate

Is issued by the Registry of Birth Death and Marriages that lists information about the person including; where and where they were born, details about their marriages, children, parents and occupation, together with the information about how and where the person passed away from the Medical Death Certificate. It is this Death Certificate that is needed by the executor or solicitor to finalise a person’s estate. It can take two weeks for the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages to process the information, print and post the Death Certificate. The Death Certificate is sent to the person who signed the application form at the time of the funeral arrangement. It is sent by Registered Post so someone has to sign to receive it. If no one is home a card is left in the letter box and it can be collected from the Post Office.

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