What to do next?

The following information is designed to guide you through the initial stages following bereavement. They are printable pages for your use, if required.

How and when should you contact the funeral director

Our service to you starts from the moment you contact us, to a point beyond the deceased being laid to rest.

The arrangement itself can be made at our premises or at home, and in some cases over the telephone. On your initial contact we will ask you for preliminary details, where upon we may advise, if applicable, the removal of the deceased back to our chapel of rest. After initial details have been established we would then ask for a convenient time to meet and make final arrangements.

At a time and place that suits the family, our funeral arranger would arrange the funeral to your own individual requirements and to our highest standards. Our section 'What to Expect' lists the questions we would normally ask during an arrangement.

Please be advised that you can contact us prior to registering the death, when we will advise you on your next steps.

Registering a death

All deaths in England and Wales have to be registered within 5 days of the date of death and in the district that the death took place. In order to register you must be in possession of a medical certificate that states the cause of death.

Where and how to register a death

When someone dies at home or in a residential/nursing home, the doctor who was treating the deceased will issue a medical certificate stating the cause of death. This medical certificate will be available for the relatives to collect normally from the deceased General Practitioner. The person who will be registering the death must take this certificate to the registrar's office within the district of the death.

If a death occurs in hospital, the ward staff will inform you which office will be dealing with the death certificate and their contact number to arrange collection.


Occasionally, if the death was sudden or the doctor treating the deceased is unavailable, it may not be possible for a medical certificate of cause of death to be issued. If this happens, the death will have to be reported to the coroner, which may lead to a delay in registering the death.

Registrar opening times and contact details

Ashbourne Tel. 01335 300575
Town Hall, Market Place, Ashbourne
Opening times Monday/ Friday 10am - 1pm & 2.30pm - 4.30pm Tuesday/Wednesday 2.30pm - 4.30pm

Belper Tel. 01332 820411
Town Centre Bureau, King Street, Belper
Opening times Thursday only 9.30am - 12noon

Derby Tel. 01332 256526
Royal Oak House, Market Place, Derby DE1 3AR
Opening times Monday to Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm

Ripley Tel. 01773 841381
Market Place, Ripley
Opening times Monday to Friday 9.15am-12.30pm & 2pm - 4.15pm

Swadlincote Tel. 01283 213976
Civic Way, Swadlincote
Opening times Mon., Tues., Thurs & Fri. 9am - 1pm Wednesday 12.30pm - 4.30pm

Please note that all registrars operate an appointment service and as such it is advisable to contact them as soon as possible.

Who can register a death?

The majority of deaths are registered by a relative of the deceased. The registrar will allow other people to register the death only if there were no relatives available and these are noted below:-

If the death takes place in a house or nursing/residential home -

• A relative of the deceased
• Someone present at the death
• The occupier of the house or hospital if he or she knew of the death
• Another person living at the house if he or she knew of the death
• The person making the arrangements with the funeral directors

Death occurring elsewhere -

• A relative of the deceased
• Someone present at the death
• Someone who found the body
• A person in charge of the body
• The person making the arrangements with the funeral directors

Information to be supplied for the registration of a death

The following list contains the information that must be given to the registrar for the registration -

• Date and place of death
• Name and surname of the deceased
• Maiden surname, if the deceased was a woman who had married
• Date and place of birth
• Occupation
• Name and occupation of husband, where the deceased was a married woman or widow
• Usual address
• Whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension or allowance from public funds
• If the deceased was married, the date of birth of the surviving widow or widower

The deceased's medical card, birth certificate and marriage certificate if available, should also be taken to the registrar.

It is extremely important that the information recorded in the death register is accurate. Mistakes are sometimes difficult to correct and it is the registering person's responsibility to get them corrected. The person registering the death should check the information in the register very carefully before the entry is signed.

What certificates will be issued?

Death certificate
Registration is free. A certified copy of the entry in the Register of Deaths "a Death Certificate" can be obtained for £3.50 (June 2006). You may require one or more copies for private pension and financial matters.

Certificate for burial or cremation
The registrar will issue a certificate for the burial or cremation of the body, which is normally passed to the funeral director by the relative who is making the arrangements. A funeral cannot proceed until this certificate is given to the burial authority or the crematorium. If there is a delay to the registration of the death, it is possible for a certificate for the burial of the deceased's body to be issued before registration provided the death does not need to be reported to the coroner. A certificate for cremation cannot be issued before the registration of the death.

If a death has been reported to the coroner, he or she may issue a certificate for burial or cremation where possible.

Certificate for applicable Social Security benefits

A certificate for sending to the Department of Social Security will also be issued by the registrar to the person registering the death or other applicant. The form serves a dual purpose; details of the deceased are given on one side and the other side is the claim form for applicable benefits.

Which deaths need to be reported to the coroner?

A small number of deaths have to be reported to the coroner before they can be registered and before the document allowing the funeral to go ahead can be issued. The following are the deaths that, if not already reported to the coroner by someone else, will be reported by the registrar:

• Where there is no doctor who can issue a medical certificate of cause of death, or
• Where the deceased was not seen by the doctor issuing the medical certificate after death nor within 14 days before death, or
• Where the cause of death is unknown, or
• Where the cause of death is believed to be unnatural or suspicious, or
• Where the death occurred during an operation or before recovery from an anaesthetic, or
• Where the death is due to industrial disease or industrial poisoning

Once a death has been reported to the coroner, the registrar cannot go ahead with the registration until the coroner has decided whether any further investigation into the death is necessary. In the vast majority of cases no further investigation is necessary and the registration can be completed straightaway.

When a death is referred to the Coroner you will need to telephone the Coroner's Officer who will give you further advice and guidance on what to do next.

The Coroner's office for Derby and South Derbyshire is open Monday to Friday 8.30 to 16.00 (except Bank Holidays) Telephone 01332 613014