The thought of organising a funeral is not a pleasant one. We know that the passing of a loved one is never easy, whether expected or not. However, organising the funeral offers the opportunity to bid farewell in a loving and meaningful way. As your funeral directors, we will guide and support you, easing the burden by taking care of all of the necessary arrangements with respect and dignity.
We are dedicated professionals trained to understand and cope with your situation and available with our personal services 24 hours a day.
At every step of the way we are there to advise, support and where necessary make the arrangements on your behalf. P.J. Dallat & Sons will be on hand to advise you of all your options and choices and seeing that the funeral arrangements are made in accordance with your wishes, and those of the deceased, right down to the smallest of details. We have many years experience dealing with Burials and Cremations, dealing with many different cultures and religions in the process.
When a person dies at home, the next of kin or executor and the family doctor should be informed. The doctor who cared for the person during the last illness will complete a free Certificate of the Cause of Death. If cremation is intended, this doctor will complete cremation Form B and will arrange for another doctor to complete the confirmatory Form C after having confirmed the death. These forms are provided free of charge from the administration office for the crematorium. The two doctors will require payment for completing the forms.
The death certificate must be taken to the Registrar of Births and Deaths within 28 days.
If the death was sudden or due to an accident, or the deceased had not attended the doctor for some time, the Coroner must be informed. The Coroner will decide whether to hold a post-mortem and/or an inquest. As most cases are found to be due to natural causes, inquests are rarely required. The Coroner will then notify the Registrar that the death can be registered. The person registering the death will need to visit the Registrar to do this. The Coroner’s Officer will keep you informed about what to do. As these arrangements may cause delay, we would not arrange the funeral until authorised by the Coroner’s Officer. The Coroner will issue an Order for Burial (white certificate) or for Cremation (yellow certificate) without charge.
The Registrar can register the death only if he/she is given or has obtained the death certificate or has received notification from the Coroner. He or she will require to know the following details about the deceased:
You will need to confirm the date and place of death. Other questions will be asked about the date of birth of the surviving spouse, and information about the state pensions and allowances the person was receiving, including war pensions. The NHS insurance number will be requested and the medical card of the deceased should be surrendered to the Registrar, if it is available. If the number is not known, and the medical card unavailable, you can still register the death.
The Registrar will issue a free social security form to ensure that benefits are being paid correctly. If the Coroner is not issuing an Order for Burial or Cremation, the Registrar will issue a free certificate for this purpose. This should be given to your funeral director or sent to the cemetery or crematorium as soon as possible.
The Registrar will advise you over any further certificate copies you require and the cost involved. These will be for obtaining Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, to show banks, social security or building societies, and to claim insurance.
Our aim is to provide a cremation service of a high standard in a dignified, caring and sympathetic manner. We will make all the arrangements and advise you on the local regulations.
Once the Certificate of death has been issued, funeral plans can then be put in place. Here are the important decisions you will have to make: