Registering the death
You are legally required to register the death within 5 days except in certain circumstances, where the period may be extended to 14 days. If the Coroner is investigating the death, they will issue the Death Certificate to you directly and you will then be required to register the death once the Coroner’s Certificate has been received.
Who can register the Death?
People with legal responsibility to register include:
(See also the list on the notice to Informants attached to the Doctors Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.)
Where do I register the death?
All offices operate a strict pre-booked appointment system
Castle Point Council areas
South Benfleet Library,
264 High Road,
South Benfleet, SS7 5HD
Office open: Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 9am – 5pm
Rayleigh and Rochford Council areas
Rayleigh Library,
132-134 High Street,
Rayleigh, SS6 7BX
Office open: Monday: 9am – 5pm
or
Rochford Library,
8 Roche Close,
Rochford, SS4 1PX
Office open: Thursday 9.30am – 4.30pm
Centralised Appointment’s Booking No: 0345 603 7632
or book online @ www.essex.gov.uk
Southend Borough Council areas
The Civic Centre
Victoria Avenue,
Southend-on-Sea SS2 6ER
Monday – Friday 9.30 am – 12.30 pm, 1.30 pm – 4 pm
Appointments Booking No.: 01702 215009
Useful contacts
GOV.UK
A complete guide to death and bereavement.
Visit site
HM Coroner for Essex
Information on HM Coroner for Essex.
Visit site
Essex Registrar
Find your nearest registration office when registering a death.
Visit site
Details you may need
There are a number of details of the deceased that it would be helpful to have at hand that will help you complete forms or documents in the coming days and weeks.
What happens if there isn’t a will?
If there is no will, a close relative of the deceased can apply to the probate registry to deal with the estate. In this case they apply for a ‘grant of letters of administration’. If the grant is given, they are known as ‘administrators’ of the estate. Like the grant of probate, the grant of letters of administration is a legal document which confirms the administrator’s authority to deal with the deceased person’s assets. In some cases, for example, where the person who benefits is a child, the law states that more than one person must act as the administrator.
The death of a loved one can be a very distressing and troubling time and it can be hard to know what to do next. This page aims to guide you through the necessary steps that will have to be made after someone close passes away and explain the administrative procedures involved.
If the death has occurred in a private residence you will need to contact the person’s GP or the out of hours service. If the death occurs in a nursing home or hospice generally the staff will summon a Doctor or other qualified person on your behalf. In both instances if practical, this should be the Doctor that looked after the person during their last illness.
(N.B. If the doctor or qualified person who certifies death is not the patients normal Doctor, the necessary documentation will need to be collected from their normal Doctors surgery)
The Doctor will issue the following documentation:
Once the doctor has attended, you will need to make arrangements for the deceased to be taken to the Funeral Director’s Chapel of Rest.
If the Doctor cannot certify as to the cause of Death, i.e. the deceased died suddenly, they will notify the Coroner. It is the duty of the Coroner to investigate the circumstances of the death in order to try to establish the cause. Once the Coroner has been informed, they will arrange for the deceased to be taken to the local hospital and it is possible that a post mortem examination may take place. A post mortem examination is a medical examination of the body to establish more about the cause of death, contact details for the Coroner’s service are below.
For immediate assistance and advice following the death of a loved, please call us on 01702 558 717
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