What to do when someone dies

The death of a loved one is always difficult and overwhelming. Understanding what you need to do and when to do it, can help ease the stress and confusion you may be experiencing. We’re here to take you through the key steps so you know exactly what to do when someone dies. We’ll help and support you through every step from the death of your loved one to the day of the funeral.

What to do when someone dies

The death of a loved one is always difficult and overwhelming. Understanding what you need to do and when to do it, can help ease the stress and confusion you may be experiencing. We’re here to take you through the key steps so you know exactly what to do when someone dies. We’ll help and support you through every step from the death of your loved one to the day of the funeral.

What to do when your loved one has died

We’ll help and support you through every step from the death of your loved one to the day of the funeral. The steps you have to follow when someone dies will depend on how and where the death of your loved one has happened. Whether they died at home, in hospital or in a care home we are here to guide you through the process.

A step-by-step guide on what to do when someone dies in England & Wales

After a death, knowing what steps you’ll need to take, and the order in which to take them can be daunting. This guide refers to what you’ll need to do if the deceased is in England or Wales.

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A step-by-step guide on what to do when someone dies in Scotland

When someone dies, there are a number of steps you’ll need to perform before the cremation can take place. This easy-to-follow guide explains what you’ll need to do when someone dies in Scotland

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What to do when someone dies at home

Unlike when a death occurs in a care home or a hospital, you’ll likely not have anyone around you who can provide professional advice. That’s why it’s important to know what you’ll need to do before that happens.

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What to do when someone dies in a care home

When someone dies in a care home, it’s slightly different to a home death but the steps you’ll need to take are mostly the same.

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What to do when someone dies in hospital

When a loved one dies in a hospital, you’ll likely be made aware that death is imminent and be able to prepare for it although it doesn’t take away the impact of the loss. Here's what you need to do when someone dies in hospital.

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Why Arrange a Funeral with Distinct Cremations?

The process when you arrange a cremation should be respectful, affordable and stress-free. With 30 years of experience and directly owned crematoria, we provide customers with a funeral that's of minimal emotional and financial burden, via direct cremation. When you decide to arrange a funeral with us, we make sure our pricing is clear and transparent, we avoid hidden extras and most importantly, we believe that low cost should not mean low quality, providing your loved one with high-quality care.

We specialise in direct cremation services and are part of the Westerleigh Group, who own and manage crematoria throughout the UK and support over 50,000 families per year.

Lowest Price

At Distinct Cremations we offer the highest quality direct cremation at the best price nationwide. Simple & affordable

Discover why we're such good value

Stress Free

We’ll take care of everything, so your family don’t need to - from collection to the paperwork and right through to cremation

Learn more about our personal service

Highest Quality

We have the Distinct advantage of owning all our crematoria & can guarantee the highest quality of care from beginning to end

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24/7 Support

Our highly experienced, attentive personal advisors are here for you & your family 24/7. We’re here whenever you need us

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Available Nationwide

No matter where you live in the UK mainland, our specialist direct cremations are available for the same price

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Dedication to Direct Cremation

We focus solely on direct cremations across mainland England, Wales and Scotland, offering the highest quality nationwide for the best price

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What's the first thing to do when someone dies?

1
Day 1: Medical confirmation

A medical professional will need to confirm the death as soon as possible. They’ll be able to provide a medical cause of death and answer any questions you may have.

2
Day 2: Make the Funeral Arrangements

Now is a good time to begin making funeral arrangements. You can contact a funeral provider who will be able to offer further assistance. If your loved one had an existing funeral plan then you can begin to put it into practice.

If your loved one has passed away and you need our help, you can call us 24 hours a day on 0808 296 7787. We’ll bring the person into our care at a time that suits you, then guide you through all the arrangements and paperwork.

3
Day 2-5: Register the death

Contact the register office within 5 days in England and Wales and within 8 days in Scotland. This is a legal requirement and allows funeral proceedings to take place. An appointment will be needed and you’ll be required to take certain documents such as your loved one’s passport and birth certificate with you.

If the death was expected, the register office will issue a Green Form and Death Certificate. If the death was unexpected, the case will be referred to the coroner.

Learn more: how to register a death

4
Day 5-10: Complete the necessary forms

You’ll need to complete a Cremation 1 form before booking a cremation. A medical professional will need to complete the Cremation 4/5 form. Once these are complete, they are submitted to your chosen crematoria.

5
Day 10+: Cremation can take place

You can arrange a direct cremation over the phone in just a few minutes. Our advisors are available 24/7 to make all the arrangements and support you and your family. Your loved one will be collected and cremated at one of our crematoria. If you would like to begin arranging a cremation, you can call us on 0808 296 7787 or click here to start the process.

How To Arrange A Funeral

Call us

1

Here for you 24/7

When you are ready - call us on 0808 149 5212 and we’ll collect the deceased from the place of death and bring them into our care

Arrangements

2

Help with the paperwork

As we care for your loved one in our mortuary, your advisor will help you book their cremation and complete all the paperwork

Cremation

3

The Ashes

After the cremation, we’ll scatter the ashes in our garden of remembrance or they can be hand-delivered back to you at no extra cost

Frequently asked questions

The average cost of a funeral in the UK is now £4,184^[1]^. Our funeral plans start from as little as £1,499. You can view our full range of services and prices to learn more.

Sources

  1. SunLife (2021)

Different people can register a death including a relative, a friend, an official from the hospital where the death occurred, the owner or staff in a care home or someone who was present at the death.

Yes you can have a cremation without a ceremony. This is known as unattended or direct cremation and it is an affordable option for anyone who wishes his loved one to be cremated without the fuss of a full funeral service.

On average it takes around two hours to cremate a body, but it can sometimes be longer or shorter in certain circumstances.

Useful Advice and Help

How long after death is a cremation?

Read more

A simple guide to direct cremations

Read more

Can I have a cremation without a funeral?

Read more

Postcode Search

Find your nearest crematorium

We work with a nationwide network of crematoria located in beautiful and private surroundings. Use our crematorium finder and a postcode to find your local crematorium. See full list here.