In the event of a sudden or unexpected death, or if there are questions over the cause of death, the death will be reported to a coroner, who may call for a post-mortem or an inquest. A coroner’s officer will be in touch with you to keep you updated.

We would recommend contacting us as soon as possible so that we can offer our support and guidance, liaise with the Coroner’s officer, and make some preliminary arrangements whilst investigations are carried out.

If you would like additional support following a sudden death, we recommend contacting Bereavement Care. More information about the work of the Coroner can be found here.

This must be done in the district in which the death occurred. An appointment to do this will be required and you will find the telephone numbers of the local registrars on our Where to Register section. If you are unsure as to who to contact then please contact us and we will point you in the right direction.

The Green Certificate (for burial or cremation) – this form must be given to us in order for us to proceed with the funeral arrangements.

The Death Certificate – this is the official copy of the death certificate, and will be required by insurance companies and banks etc. Please make sure you ask for sufficient copies. There will be a small fee incurred to obtain this. Should the death be referred to the Coroner, as may be the case with an unexpected or unexplained death, the process for the Registration of death will be different, we will offer appropriate advice and support under those circumstances.