2. The Bereavement Service

Certain formalities must be dealt with following a death. The death will need to be registered and to do this you will need a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. This certificate is completed by a doctor at the hospital. It normally takes a few days for the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to be completed.

When we call you we will ask if you are planning to have a burial or a cremation funeral service. This is so we can arrange the relevant forms. Once all the legal documents have been completed the deceased can be moved to the funeral director.

You will receive a call from the Medical Examiner whose role is discussed in the next section of this booklet. Once this has happened we will contact you to help you arrange the registration of the death.

We will be able to book you an appointment at the Registry Office once we have the certificate ready. We can book an appointment for you at any Registration Office in Devon except Plymouth and Torbay. You may book your own appointment at the Register Office but please wait until we or the Coroner’s Office advise you to go ahead, otherwise you may be unable to attend.