ARRANGING A FUNERAL

FIRST STEPS

At this challenging time, we are here to assist you. We provide guidance on the initial steps to take when organising a funeral. It is crucial to contact a Funeral Director, and Birrell Corrance Funeral Directors is available 24/7 to offer support and advice on necessary arrangements. With our extensive experience, we have dealt with various situations over the years.

REGISTERING A DEATH

How to register a death with the Registry Office in Scotland:

Once the Doctor or Hospital has issued the Medical Certificate (form 11), the Next Of Kin or Applicant must register the death within 8 days at the Registry Office anywhere in Scotland, some offices may wish you to make an appointment.

The person registering the death will be asked for the following information about the deceased:

The date and place of death.
The full name and usual address. (and maiden name if applicable)
The date and place of birth.
The occupation. (and name and occupation of her husband if applicable)
The full name and usual address of the Next Of Kin / Applicant.
A Death Certificate can then be obtained on payment of the prescribed fee. This will be needed for closing bank accounts and making claims on insurance policies.

The Registrar will issue you with a white document (form 14) required by the funeral director for burial or cremation. An abbreviated Death Certificate which is issued free of charge and if you require a full Death Certificate there is a charge, the current fee is £12.50 per document, Sometimes family wish to purchase more than one, for banks, insurance companies etc. You will also be given a special document which is for Social Security purposes to cancel the payment of pensions and allowances.

CLICK BELOW FOR A LIST OF ALL THE REGISTRARS IN SCOTLAND

CLICK HERE

WHEN A DEATH OCCURS AT HOME

If the death was expected, as the deceased had been ill for some time, it would be normal to contact their Doctor, who would then visit to certify that death had occurred and determine the cause. This may not happen immediately as the Doctor may be in his / her surgery, or death may happen in the middle of the night, in which case you may decide to wait until morning before calling out the Doctor or alternatively call 999 and upon the police arriving at the home they will call upon a police doctor to allow legal paperwork to be signed and then be released into the funeral director’s care.

Later that day or the next, the Doctor will issue the relatives a form called the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (form 11). This contains a list of who can register the death, known as Informants, at the local Registry Office and what information the Registrar will require.

If the cause of death cannot be determined then the Doctor will refer the death to The Procurator Fiscal to decide whether a post mortem will be required.

WHEN A DEATH OCCURS IN A HOSPITAL

Unless present when death occurs, the relatives will be notified by the nursing staff as soon as possible. Arrangements can then be made with the Hospital administrative staff to deal with any legal formalities. These will include collecting the issuing a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (issued by a Hospital Doctor) and personal possessions of the deceased.

If it is proposed that the deceased is to have a burial or cremation service, they can be released into the funeral director’s care when the form 11 has been issued from the medical doctor (within hospital mortuary opening hours).

WHEN A DEATH OCCURS ELSEWHERE

If death occurs away from home then the initial formalities listed above will be completed by the Doctor or Hospital staff in that area. If relatives wish to bring the body home for the funeral then the arrangements in both areas, including transport, can be taken care of by Birrell Corrance Funeral Directors.

Should death occur abroad then our staff can advise accordingly as to what options are available.