What to do
The first contact to be made is the person’s doctor. The doctor will visit and view the deceased and then issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. If for some reason Doctor is unable to attend, they will authorise a qualified person such as paramedic, ambulance officer or nurse to complete a Declaration of Life Extinct Form.
Having done this they will undertake to visit the deceased, usually at the funeral director’s premises, and complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. Once either of these forms has been completed, the funeral director is able to transfer the deceased into their care. If you have any uncertainty, all you need do is call us and we will advise you.
If death occurs in hospital, or another care facility such as a nursing home or hospice, the staff of that facility will attend to arranging these formalities.
In certain instances the doctor may feel that they are unable to issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. In these circumstances it is necessary to contact the police so that the State Coroner’s Office can become involved. This will usually happen if the death is sudden or unexpected, or other than by natural causes. Your Funeral Director will liaise with the Coroner’s Office on your behalf.
The Registration of Death
Within seven days of death, the Funeral Director will attend to the registration of the deceased person’s death with the Registrar General’s Office. In order to do this they will require the family to provide as much of the following information as possible.
Surname
First Names in Full
Date of Death
Date of Birth
Marital Status
Usual Residence
Place of Birth
Period of Residence in Australia
Was the Deceased of Aboriginal or Torres Islander Origin
Main Occupation during Working Life
Age at and Place of Each Marriage
Spouses Full Name at time of Marriage
Names & Date of Birth of Children
Father’s Name & Occupation
Mother’s Name & Occupation
The Death Certificate
In most instances at the time of death, the attending doctor will issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. The funeral director will be able to provide the family with a copy of this. Although some organisations will accept this as proof of a person’s death, most will require the Registered Record of Death which is produced by the Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages.
This document can be obtained by the family, or on request, by your funeral director from Service Tasmania about two weeks after the funeral. There is a fee involved so this document is usually only applied for if required.
