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In the event of a bereavement, Albert Marsh will help and guide you with all the funeral arrangements. The professional services that Albert Marsh arrange are explained in more detail below. What to do initially after a death
What to do initially after a death A Doctor should be called initially when a death has occurred. If the death was expected and the Doctor is certain of the cause of death, he/she will certify the cause and issue a Medical Certificate of the cause of death (it will be in an envelope addressed to the Registrar). The Doctor will also issue a Formal Notice that states that the Doctor has signed the Medical Certificate of the cause of death. It would now be advisable to phone Albert Marsh (Funeral Directors) Ltd on telephone 01929 - 552107 or 01202 - 621777 when we will arrange with you a convenient time to remove the deceased to our Private Chapel of Rest. If the Doctor is sure of the cause of death and a cremation is required, then he/she will complete part B of the required papers, for a cremation to take place an independent Doctor will also be required to complete part C of the cremation papers. They will probably liaise with Albert Marsh to do this at another time. Fees for completion of these papers are necessary, but will initially be paid for on your behalf by the Funeral Director. If the death was unexpected the following people should be informed: The family Doctor. Once the police are informed the case will become the responsibility of the Coroner. The Coroner has a number of options, he will consult with the Doctor and if the Doctor is certain of the cause of death, he/she will prepare the necessary papers. If the Doctor is unsure of the cause of death, then the Coroner will be required to conduct an investigation (see section about Coroner). Doctors The Doctors role will initially be to certify the death, after which they will decide whether or not the Coroner should become involved. The death will be referred to the Coroner if the death was unexpected. If the doctor is certain of the cause of death, he/she will arrange further details with Albert Marsh concerning paperwork to be completed for the funeral to take place.
Registration A death must be registered by the Registrar in the area that death occurred in. If it is difficult to travel to this registry office, you can go to a Registrar in a more convenient place anywhere in England or Wales. They will note the information required to register the death and send it to the correct Registrar for you. If you do go to a Registrar outside the area where the death occurred he/she will not be able to give you any certificates, these will be sent to you by post at a later date by the Registrar in the area where the death occurred. Any Registrar will require the death certificate issued by the Doctor or Coroner before they can accept details. If the death is registered at the Registry Office in which area the death occurred, death certificates would be available immediately. If death is registered outside the area in which death occurred there will be a delay in receiving the correct certificates and therefore organising the funeral. It is therefore advisable to inform Albert Marsh and the Registrar for the area in which death occurred, so they are aware of the situation. The death should be registered by the next of kin and there are certain documents the Registrar will need; Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death. War Pensions order book of the deceased if applicable. Form 100 A or B. issued by the Coroner if applicable - this will probably be sent to the Registrar so it will be waiting for you when you register the death. The Registrar will need the following details; The deceased's last home address. The death must be registered in the district in which the death occurred. Once all of this is complete, the Registrar will issue a Death Certificate of which extra copies can be obtained. It is advisable to obtain multiple copies at the time as they become more expensive afterwards and copies are often needed for insurance purposes and such like. There is a charge of £3.50 per copy.
The Registrar will also give you: A Certificate for Burial or Cremation also known as the Green Form. Please hand this to Albert Marsh as soon as possible. If the Coroner was involved, he will have issued a Form 'E' and the Green Form is not needed. A Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8(rev)). This is for Social Security purposes. The instructions are on the form. If the death has been referred to the Coroner he will issue the necessary paperwork to go ahead with the funeral and death should be registered within 5 days. Your Funeral Director will keep you fully informed. Coroners A Coroner is a Doctor, Solicitor or Lawyer responsible for investigating deaths. If the case is referred to the Coroner he will carry out an investigation into the cause of death. You will be unable to register the death until he has concluded his findings. A case will be referred to the Coroner if: The deceased had not seen the Doctor in the last 14 days. Cases are initially referred to the Coroner by the Doctor who is called when death occurred. The Coroner, having heard of all the circumstances, may decide that no post-mortem or inquest is necessary, he will issue a Form 100A ( Known as a Part A). The Coroner will conduct an investigation into the cause of death consisting of a post-mortem examination and possibly an inquest. Consent from the family is not necessary for a post-mortem examination to take place, but the family can choose for a Doctor to be present if desired. If the post-mortem concludes that death was due to natural causes, the Coroner will issue a Form 100B. This form will be sent to the Registrar, or maybe given to the family to take with them to the Registrar, to register the death. If a cremation has been chosen, the Coroner will issue the Certificate for Cremation (Form E) this will be sent directly to Albert Marsh. An inquest is an enquiry into the medical cause and circumstances of death. An inquest will be held if the death was; Violent or unnatural. Inquests are held in these circumstances even if death occurred abroad and the body is returned to Britain. If an inquest is held the Coroner will inform the following people: Married partner of the deceased. Albert Marsh should be contacted immediately if the deceased has died at home, so that they can be removed to our private Chapel of Rest. Apart from this the Funeral Director can be contacted when the family feels ready to start making arrangements. Albert Marsh will co-ordinate all the parties involved, obtain the necessary documentation and pay the disbursements on your behalf. Disbursements are any set Fee that will have to be paid before the funeral such as cemetery/cremation charges or Doctors fees. These will be paid on your behalf by the Funeral Director, who will then charge for these in the final invoice for the funeral, however they will be clearly marked as being 'Disbursements'. We are also available for advice on any number of issues from costing of flowers to catering. We will convey the deceased to our private Chapels of Rest where they will remain until the day of the funeral, we will also carry out any necessary hygienic treatment. Professional Associations National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) Established on 1905, formerly the British Undertakers Association, this was until the mid 1980's the principal trade association in the funeral profession. National Association of Funeral Directors
Guild of Master Craftsmen Cremations Before a cremation can take place the cause of death must be decided. There are a number of forms needed before a cremation can take place. Application Form A, signed by the next of kin + EITHER Two Cremation Certificates (Forms B&C) signed by different Doctors. AND Certificate for Burial or Cremation (Green Form) issued by the Registrar. OR If the Coroner has certified, you will need the Certificate for Cremation (Form E) The Form E overrides both the need for Doctors Certificates and the green form. Form F this form must be signed by a Medical Referee at the Crematorium. A Referee can refuse the cremation to go ahead if he/she is not satisfied with the paperwork. The Funeral Director will advise you on all of these procedures.
Burials The first decision that must be made is where the burial will take place. Albert Marsh will contact the Priest or Minister concerning the desired location. There are a number of Cemeteries owned by local authorities in the area. In order to carry out an interment in one of these, the grave space will have to be paid for. Most Cemeteries lease the land for a reasonably long period of time, after which the lease can be renewed. The Cemetery will require a formal application to be made by the Funeral Director, this form will specify whether or not the applicant is applying to purchase burial rights, or to re-open a grave. If the grave is to be re-opened the Exclusive Right Certificate should be shown to the Funeral Director. In addition either the Coroner's Order for Burial, or the Certificate for Burial or Cremation (Green Form) issued by the Registrar will be required.
Repatriation to a foreign country If someone has died in this country from overseas the family may wish the deceased's funeral to take place in the home country. Sending bodies abroad requires a large amount of paperwork. Only the Coroner can give permission for a body to be moved out of England or Wales. Permission must be obtained at least four days before the body is to be moved (at the Coroner's discretion). A Removal Notice (Form 104) will be issued and part of this will be sent to the Registrar. This procedure applies in all cases where the deceased is to be moved out of England or Wales, not just where the death was referred to the Coroner. Repatriation to England or Wales If a death occurs abroad, the death should be registered according to the local regulations of that country and a Death Certificate should be obtained. To bring a body back to England or Wales, you will need either the Death Certificate or an authorisation for the removal of the body from the country of death, by someone authorised to do so. To arrange a funeral in England or Wales you will need an authenticated translation of a Death Certificate showing the cause of death and a Certificate of No Liability to Register from the Registrar in England and Wales. This certificate must be obtained from the Registrar in whose area it is intended to bury or cremate the deceased. To arrange a cremation, a cremation order from the Home Office or a Form 'E' from the Coroner will be required. If the death was from natural causes, the Home Office will require the following documentation: Application for cremation, Form A. All original documentation from the country where death occurred Translation of documents if necessary. If the death was not natural it will be referred to the Coroner, who will open an inquest to investigate the cause and circumstances of death. In this case the Coroner will issue Form E for cremation. To arrange a burial the Certificate of No Liability to Register is all that is required. Albert Marsh has extensive knowledge of repatriation and will keep you fully informed of all the necessary procedures.
Exhumation Exhumation may be requested or required for the following reasons: To establish identity of a body. Claiming for funeral expenses from the Department of Social Security The DSS has in recent years changed its eligibility criteria for claims. The main points are: A maximum of £600 plus basic disbursements ie Cremation and Doctor's Fees will be paid for. The Funeral Directors Expenses, Minister's, Organist's and Church Fees etc are taken out of the £600. A basic funeral often exceeds this amount. The claim is likely to fail if the conditions below are not met. Any cash or insurances will be deducted from the total claim. The person claiming must be the person arranging the funeral and taking responsibility for the payment. The claimant or the claimants partner must be in receipt of funds from the Social Security. The deceased should have ordinarily lived in the UK. The funeral must take place in the UK. The full amount will not be paid if the claimant has savings in excess of £500 (£1000 if over 60 years of age). If the claimant is eligible to claim but has a brother or sister not in receipt of benefit. If the claimant is claiming for the death of a child one parent must be eligible. The claim is likely to be successful if the following applies: The local Benefit Agency Office The Social Fund, |
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