What to do: A Checklist

If your loved one had an expected death at home – call their doctor or nurse and they will decide what happens next. This legal pronouncement is called a “Medical Certificate of Cause of Death” (HP4720). You may wish to find a funeral director, whose role is to assume responsibility for your loved one and organise their transfer to a funeral home.

If your loved one was in residential care – they will contact you and also take care of the medical formalities. If you have decided on cremation, let the medical team know as they will need to prepare additional paperwork.

If your loved one died unexpectedly or in an accident – call emergency services (in New Zealand, call 111). Once they have come to you, they will decide what happens next. In some circumstances, the coroner will investigate the death. If the coroner is involved, the police will organise a transfer of your Loved One to a mortuary.

Check your loved one’s driver’s license and or their will to see if they want to be an organ donor. Tell the doctor or the emergency services and they may be able to help.

If your loved one is at home, call your local hospital and let them know as organ donation is time-sensitive and important to act quickly

First things first, contact the next of kin, especially those overseas who may have to book flights.

Check if there are any express wishes from your loved one before you start. Some of these items are best managed by the executor of a person’s estate. If you are not the executor, it is a good idea to work closely with the person who is.

They will help you and guide you through both of these legal steps below.

Before a loved one is buried or cremation, you need:

– A medical certificate signed by a doctor or nurse. This ‘Medical Certificate of Cause of Death’ is issued prior to the Death Certificate (which is issued after the funeral)

or

– a coroner to authorise the release of your loved one.

See this link by Te Tari Taiwhenua Internal Affairs: Before Burial or Cremation

If you are using a funeral director, they’ll register the passing of your loved one for you. However, you can do this yourself. See this link by New Zealand Government: Registering a death

There are rules about where and how you can bury or cremate someone, and where you can scatter ashes. Again, please refer to The Tari Taiwhenua Internal Affairs: Before Burial or Cremation

Two options:

– Your selected funeral director can transport your loved one to their mortuary within their premises.

Or,

– You can transport your loved one yourself. You will need to fill out a “Transfer of Charge of Body: form (BDM39). You are required by law to sign this form which provides evidence that responsibility for your Loved One was transferred appropriately You need to contact Births Death and Marriage to be sent a form. See Contact Us details of Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs. These should also be available at a Mortuary or on the premises of your funeral director.

If possible, you may wish to split up the task between other family members.

Some airlines offer ‘compassionate airfares’ for immediate family members who are flying to the funeral. See: Air New Zealand

Submit your obituary-death notice-funeral notice to your newspaper. See a list of New Zealand newspapers here. Once published, these are also displayed on the HonourThem site.

You might be able to get help with the cost of a funeral, burial or cremation.

For instance:

– Work and Income NZ, for loved ones on low incomes (asset tested). Your funeral director will advise you on how to apply. See link from New Zealand Government: Financial Help if someone dies.

– Accident Compensation Corporate (if an accident): See this link from ACC: Financial support if someone has died from an injury.

Note: you can only apply for one funeral grant from either Work and Income NZ or Accident Compensation Corporation

You may wish to set up a Give A Little Page for crowdfunding the cost of the funeral. HonourThem will also place this on the online Obituary notice. People can click directly from the Obituary notice to your Give A Little Page.

If your passed loved one was a veteran, you may be able to get financial assistance with the funeral or burial. Find more information on Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand.

However, this may also be under control in advance:

– Your loved one may have a Funeral Insurance Policy or a Life Insurance Policy that will fund the funeral.

– Also you may wish to check with medical /health insurance policies as sometimes this covers funeral expenses.

– Your loved one may have pre-paid for their funeral arrangements. See The Funeral Trust

If you are based in New Zealand and you have been at your job for at least 6 months, you can take 3 paid days off after the passing of a close family member. Here is a link from New Zealand Government: Bereavement Leave.

Who can care for them until you can figure out a long-term plan?

If they lived on their own, lock up the house and if appropriate, notify the landlord. Throw out any food and water plants.

If your departed loved one was actively working, call to let them know they have passed away.

This may also be a time to ask about pay owed that will go to your loved one’s estate

Funeral is a name for a gathering to remember your loved one. Funerals are about “good grief” and get the grief journey moving along. There are no rules for funerals and they can be held anywhere.

Traditionally funerals are seen as the opportunity to gather, support and acknowledge a life lived and to begin to accept the loss.

Meet with your professional funeral director to go through your options. Go to “How to: Arrange a Funeral Service” for all details.

Your funeral director will go through a checklist to organise the funeral.

You will register the funeral to receive the Death Certificate. Your funeral home can do this for you or you can do this yourself. See: Get a death certificate

If you wish to do this yourself, you must register the death with Births, Death and Marriages within three days of the cremation or burial. You will need a notification of death registration form (BDM28). See link to Te Tri Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs Contact Us.

It is recommended that you may need a number of copies, depending on the accounts that your Loved One had open.

Along with the will that you will have already found (or no will):
– Trust documents
– Home and Contents Policy
– Vehicle Policy
– Pension benefit
– Other benefits
– Superannuation / KiwiSaver details
– Bank Accounts
– Credit Card Accounts
– Business Agreements
– Evidence of assets and liabilities
– Birth Certificate
– Marriage Certificate
– Title deeds for assets – house, vehicles
– Any leases
– Health Insurance
– Any unpaid bills
– Last tax return

Have the mail redirected and this may also help you identify bills that need to be paid and accounts that should be closed. You will need to file a request with the NZ Post and show proof that you are an appointed executor and authorised to manage their mail.

Probate is whereby a will is recognised by the courts as being authentic. Probate is granted after receiving an application from the executors. In most instances, your solicitor will apply for probate for you.

If your departed loved one had a will, it will specify who is to serve as the executor (personal representative). The person named is responsible for making sure credits are paid, assets are distributed and tax returns are filed. You may need the services of a lawyer to assist you through this process.

If your departed loved one passed without a will (intestate), the law typically indicates who is in charge.

You’ll need to file a return for both your loved one and the estate.

If your departed loved one received any benefits or pensions, the relevant government departments will need to be advised.

MyTrove Notify is a free service for you to finalise tax affairs with Inland Revenue and cancel a passport with the Passports Office. There are some banks and insurance companies also involved.

See blog: Government Departments and Legal Documents

Complete any claim form for any life insurance policies that your loved one had. Also, suggest that friends and family who may have listed your loved one on their own life insurance policies update theirs.

This could be health insurance, car insurance, home and contents insurance or anything else.

Use your passed loved one’s mail and any online accounts you have access to in order to identify accounts that need to be closed. You will need to supply copies of the death certificate to make any changes.

Call customers service and then email them a copy of the death certificate.

Work out if any additional financial and investment accounts that were held. You’ll need a death certificate to transfer ownership of each account. If your loved one had a KiwiSaver account, you will need to notify the KiwiSaver provider.

– Newspaper or magazine subscriptions
– Gas bottle deliveries
– Telephone and internet connection
– Mobile phone
– Garden bin collection
– Rent

– Drivers License
– Passports
– Motor Vehicles

Once you are confident that you have all the accounts, you may want to permanently close email accounts. IDCare is a New Zealand based charity. They have a service to preserve online content before closing accounts and managing a deceased person’s digital identify.

– Cleaning the house
– Taking care of pets
– Watering the plants

Make a list of household goods, personal belongings, valuable so that they can be accounted for and property distributed.

The ashes can be collected approximately two days after the service.

There are no rules as to when a headstone needs to be installed. Many families unveil the headstone one year after the passing and this, in turn, becomes a one-year anniversary gathering.

HonourThem can recommend a Monumental Mason within your area.

This is 100% hardest thing you will ever have to deal with. We have a list of Grief Support services here. Your family doctor can also recommend bereavement support services in your area.