Stevens & Sons Funeral Services Ltd Offering compassionate guidance and expert advice on what to do when someone dies

What to do When Someone Dies

When a loved one passes away, it can be a deeply traumatic experience, even if the circumstances of their passing were expected. As a family member or close personal friend, there are certain steps you need to take to confirm and register the death and to prepare them for their funeral service.

Here at Stevens & Sons Funeral Services Ltd, we have worked with bereaved families across North London and Hertfordshire for more than 15 years, helping them say a fond and respectful farewell to their loved ones. We understand the emotional turmoil that you’re feeling at this time and hope to do all we can to ease the process for you.

For this reason, we have put together the following step-by-step guide to help you understand what is required of you, but we remind you that you are not alone. If you need any further help, advice, or guidance, feel free to call us on 07803 184 303, and we will do all we can to assist you.

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What to Do When Someone Dies: A Step-by-Step Guide

Verify the death

Losing a loved one is a deeply emotional experience, and during such difficult times, it can be hard to know what to do first. At Stevens & Sons Funeral Services Ltd, our caring and experienced team is here to support you every step of the way.

One of the first and most essential steps is to have the death verified by a doctor. If the death occurs at home, you will need to contact the GP or out-of-hours GP to attend. If your loved one passes away in a care home, the staff will usually take care of contacting the GP on your behalf.

Please note that the deceased cannot be moved until a doctor has attended and certified the death.

Once this has been completed, Stevens & Sons are available to provide immediate support and can attend to the respectful removal of your loved one. We also offer free, independent advice and practical assistance to help guide you through the next steps, ensuring the process is as seamless and compassionate as possible for you and your family.

Unexpected Death

If the death was not expected, the cause of death will need to be determined, either by a medical examiner (if the death occurred in a hospital) or by a coroner (if the death occurred at home or in a care home or hospice). The coroner will instruct a funeral director to collect the deceased person and take them to the local hospital mortuary for investigation. Once their investigation is complete, they will issue a medical certificate of cause of death, which they will pass onto the registrar. You are not required to use the same funeral director as instructed by the coroner, and you can start making funeral arrangements while the investigation is ongoing.

Contact Your Funeral Director

Once the person’s death has been verified, you can contact a local funeral director. They will need some preliminary information about the person who died, such as their name, date of birth, home address, the address where they are currently, their religion, and their relationship to you. They will also want to know if the funeral will be a burial or cremation. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the information to hand—details can be completed later.

Register the death

Once the medical certificate of cause of death has reached the registrars, you can formally register the death at the deceased’s local Registrar’s Office. Most offices require that you make an appointment to attend and that you bring your own copy of the medical certificate of cause of death with you.

Check if the deceased has a funeral plan or an over-50’s insurance policy

Before paying for the funeral, you should check to see if the deceased person had a funeral plan or an over-50’s life insurance policy in place that would cover the cost of the funeral arrangements. You may know already, or you can ask family members, check their will, or check their recent bank statements or insurance statements

Arrange the funeral

When you arrange a funeral with Stevens & Sons Funeral Services Ltd, we will contact you to make an appointment to discuss the arrangements. This can be done over the phone, in person at your home, or at our funeral home in Mill Hill. The meeting is informal and intended to confirm your preferences for the funeral. You may wish to consider some of the following points beforehand so you know the direction in which you wish to take matters:

Will it be a burial or cremation?
Where will the service be held?
What music, hymns, and reading choices would you prefer?
Will the funeral be religious, relaxed, celebratory, or traditional?
Who will conduct the service?

Get in Touch

For respectful funeral arrangements in Mill Hill and across North London and Hertfordshire, contact Stevens & Sons Funeral Services Ltd today. Call us or send an email to see what we can do for you.