Ymgymerwyr Angladdau Llŷn

When Someone Dies

Arranging a Funeral

The loss of a loved one is often an incredibly emotional and difficult experience for everyone involved. You may be unsure who to contact first or what steps to take next.

We’ll guide you through every step

We’ll guide you through the death registration process, outline what to expect if a coroner becomes involved, and address any other questions you might have.

A funeral director is always on hand to support families, and we’ll take on as much of the responsibility as possible so you can gather your thoughts and prepare for the days ahead.

Tell Us Once

When a loved one dies, there can be many tasks to manage at a time when you might not feel ready to face them. One of those tasks is informing the relevant government departments and local council services. Councils across North Wales offer a service designed to make this process easier.

For more details, please download the leaflet.

Registering a Death

People who have a legal responsibility to register a death include:

  • A Relative.
  • A person present at the death.
  • The occupier of the premises where the death occurred if he/she knew of it happening.
  • The person arranging the funeral (this does not include the funeral director).

What information is required when registering a death?

When you attend your appointment to register a death, please ensure you take the following information with you:

  • The medical certificate issued by the doctor treating the final illness of the person who died. Without this certificate the Registrar will not be able to register the death. If the Coroner has been involved the Coroner’s Office will advise you what to do.
  • The deceased person’s birth certificate or passport. This is not essential but can be helpful.
  • The deceased person’s medical card. Again, this is not essential but is helpful if it can be produced.

What will happen at the appointment?

A Registrar of Births and Deaths will talk to you privately at the Register Office and will ask you for:

  • The date and place of death.
  • The full name and surname of the deceased person (and the maiden surname if the deceased was a married woman).
  • The date and place of birth.
  • The occupation of the deceased and if the deceased person was a married woman, the full name and occupation of her husband.
  • The date of birth of the surviving husband or wife if the deceased person was married.
  • Whether or not the person who died was receiving a pension from public funds.

Once the registration has been completed, the Registrar will ask you to check that all the details are correct before signing the Register. You should check the information carefully before signing.  Once you have signed the record, the Registrar will give you the documentation listed in the next section below:

Documents You Will Receive at the Appointment

  • A “green form” called the ‘Registrar’s Certificate for Burial and Cremation’ which will allow you to arrange the funeral. There is no charge for this form. Where the Coroner is involved a different procedure may apply.
  • A form for Social Security purposes. There is no charge for this form.
  • A certified copy of the entry in the Register (a death certificate) may be provided at a cost of £11 if required.

When a Death is Reported to a Coroner

  • A doctor may report the death to a coroner if:
  • the cause of death is unknown
  • the death was violent or unnatural
  • the death was sudden and unexplained
  • the person who died was not visited by a medical practitioner during their final illness
  • the medical certificate is not available
  • the person who died was not seen by the doctor who signed the medical certificate within 14 days before death or after they died
  • the death occurred during an operation or before the person came out of anaesthetic
  • the medical certificate suggests the death may have been caused by an industrial disease or industrial poisoning

The coroner may decide that the cause of death is clear. In this case:

  • The doctor signs a medical certificate.
  • You take the medical certificate to the registrar.
  • The coroner issues a certificate to the registrar stating a post-mortem is not needed.

Post Mortems

To find out how the person died, the coroner may decide a post-mortem is needed. This can be done either in a hospital or mortuary. You cannot object to a coroner’s post-mortem – but if you have asked the coroner must tell you (and the person’s GP) when and where the examination will take place.

After the post-mortem:

  1. The coroner will release the body for a funeral once they have completed the post-mortem examinations and no further examinations are needed.
  2. If the body is released with no inquest, the coroner will send a form (‘Pink Form – form 100B’) to the registrar stating the cause of death.
  3. If the body is to be cremated, the coroner will also send a ‘Certificate of Coroner – form Cremation 6’.

If the coroner decides to hold an inquest:

A coroner must hold an inquest if the cause of death is still unknown, or if the person:

  • possibly died a violent or unnatural death
  • died in prison or police custody

You cannot register the death until after the inquest. The coroner is responsible for sending the relevant paperwork to the registrar.
The death cannot be registered until after the inquest, but the coroner can give you a certificate to prove the person is dead. When the inquest is over the coroner will tell the registrar what to put in the register.