Practical and legal matters

All deaths need to be registered with the registrar - in England this must be done within 5 days.

It is best to use the register office closest to where the person died and you must make an appointment. If a death has been referred to the coroner, you’ll need to wait for them to give permission before you can register the death. There’s no cost for registering a death.

Middlesbrough Register Office,

Town Hall, Albert Road,

Middlesbrough,

TS1 2PA
 01642 729004

Stockton-on-Tees Register Office,

Nightingale House, Balaclava Street,

Stockton-on-Tees,

TS18 2AL
 01642 527720

Redcar and Cleveland Register Office,

Leisure and Community Heart, Ridley Street,

TS10 1TD
 01642 444440

 Making organisations aware of the death of your loved one can be extremely hard – but once this is done it means you are less likely to receive any unwanted correspondence that may cause upset. If you feel unable to do this, ask someone you trust to help you.

Try making a list of the people and organisations you need to tell, such as:

Employers or colleagues

GP

Insurance companies

Any bank, credit card and mortgage companies

Utility companies such as gas, water, electricity, television provider

Landlord (if applicable)

Charities they supported

Accountant and solicitor

Government department’s i.e. council tax, housing benefit etc. This can be done using the Tell Us Once service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. When you register the death, the registrar will provide the details on how to do this.

The Post Office offer a redirect mail service which costs from £24.99 for 3 months. You can also stop junk mail being sent to the person who has died by registering the death with the Bereavement Register. This will help to stop most junk mail within approximately 6 weeks.

When somebody dies they may have assets and possessions left behind. These are often passed on to family, friends or left to charity. Here are a few key points to know about how those assets and possessions are passed on and what happens if you receive an inheritance.

Firstly you must identify whether there is a valid Will.

A valid Will is important as the person who died may have left instructions about funeral arrangements. The Will should also state an executor and detail the passing on of their estate.

An executor carries out the instructions made in a Will and the other tasks involved with estate administration. An estate is everything a person owns in their own name, less everything they owe

If there is no Will this is known as dying ‘intestate’. The assets and possessions left behind by someone must still be sorted out and the person who takes on this task is called the ‘administrator’, it is generally their next of kin. The law decides on how the estate will be passed on prioritising married partners and children.

You may have been left money, property, investments or other things by the person who died – this is known as inheritance. Normally, inheritance tax will be sorted out by the executor or administrator and paid from the estate before you receive your inheritance.

We have just outlined the basics here, a solicitor will be able to advise you in more depth.

Bereavement affects everyone differently, some welcome the routine of work whereas others need time away to grieve.

When someone close to you dies and you need to take time off work your employers will most likely have a compassionate leave policy. Compassionate leave is paid or unpaid time off in difficult circumstances. It’s a good idea to check your company’s policy which should state whether there is a set amount of time off given, and whether any time off will be paid or unpaid.

Employers are not legally bound to offer compassionate leave unless your employment contract says so, however, if you talk to them and make them aware of your situation, it’s rare for them to refuse it. 

Organising a funeral can be overwhelming – at a time when you’re trying to cope with feelings of loss it can seem a very daunting task. We have gathered a few key points to help you at this time.

Firstly, ask yourself a few questions

Did the person who died tell you what they wanted or leave instructions in their Will?

Did they want to be buried or cremated?

Did they want their ashes scattering anywhere in particular or kept in an urn?

How will you pay for the funeral?

Do family or friends have any special wishes?

Do you have a date in mind?

Once you have given these some thought you will have a clearer idea of what needs arranging.

Funeral Directors

Try to contact a few different funeral directors in your area to compare prices, available options and to get a feel of who you would feel comfortable working with. Request a price list or cost breakdown to help you decide which items and services to choose.

Question to ask a funeral director

What services do you provide?

Do you do packages or can I pick and choose the services we would like?

When do we pay the bill?

Are we required to pay a deposit?

What type of transport do you offer? Can we provide our own?

Are we able to visit the person who has died when they are in your care?

There are many options with funerals and you don’t have to use a funeral director for every part. Find what suits you and your family best.