If a loved one is reaching the end of their life, knowing what to do when they die can help you prepare for when the time comes.
Here for you when you need it most
Whether it’s expected or not, the passing of a loved one is always a challenging experience. It can be hard to know what to do first, but we’re here to make it simple.
The checklist below can guide you through the initial steps after losing a loved one. And if it all feels overwhelming, we’re only a phone call away. Our caring team can guide you through this process, giving you the confidence to make thoughtful decisions after someone dies.
We’re available 24/7 on (03) 8587 5775.
Checklist for when someone dies
There are a few important steps to take after someone dies.
Some of these are legally required in Australia to initiate things like the funeral of your loved one or the execution of their will. Others will vary based on cultural and religious customs.
Here’s what to do when someone dies.
First steps
Call a family member or close friend, so you’re not in this alone
Contact your loved one’s doctor to let them know they’ve passed
If they’re an organ donor, let their local hospital know as soon as possible
Contact a funeral home to arrange the transfer into their care
Who to notify when someone dies
At some point, typically after the funeral, you’ll need to reach out to the following people to advise them of the death.
- Accountant
- Australian Electoral Office
- Australian Tax Office
- Centrelink
- Clubs, organisations and associations
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Email and social media accounts
- Employer
- Executor nominated by the deceased
- Financial Institutions – eg. banks, building societies, credit unions, credit card providers, loan companies and digital monetary accounts such as eBay and PayPal
- Home services - eg. nursing service, home delivery service, home appliance rental, medical aids rental company, cleaning or gardening services
- Insurance companies – including funeral, life, accident, home and contents, vehicle
- Local Government – rates and fire levy
- Vehicles – car lease, car registration
- Medical – dentists, specialists, hospitals, chemist, health benefits fund
- Medicare
- Post Office - mail delivery
- Solicitor and/or public trustee
- Superannuation companies
- Telecommunications – eg. phone and internet providers
- Utilities – eg. electricity, gas, water companies
Frequently asked questions
We can organise repatriation to bring your loved one home for the funeral. This typically requires quite a lot of paperwork and logistical challenges. However, our experienced team can handle the details, working with our extended network of funeral directors, here in Australia and overseas.
A cause of death certificate is issued by a doctor or medical professional immediately after someone dies. It will include their date, time and cause of death. This serves as a formal notification that death has occured. Your funeral director needs this in order to initiate the next steps.
A death certificate is a state government-issued document that acts as an official identification document when someone passes away. It’s crucial for carrying out legal and financial affairs. Our funeral director will collect the information required and complete the registration application.
Your funeral director will ask you for certain details in order to formally register the death. They’ll need information such as full name, date of birth, place of death and residential address. In addition, they’ll ask for their occupation, place of birth, marital status, parents and children’s names and your relationship to them.
You should get in touch with us as soon as possible. This will allow us to bring your loved one into our care and begin to guide you through the process of saying goodbye. Some religious customs require a funeral to occur within a few days of death, while others may have more time to get their plans in place.
Related articles
Who to notify
A helpful list of who you should contact.
Death Certificate
The Death Certificate is an important document that you will need for legal and financial reasons.
Repatriation
Is where a deceased person is moved from one state – or one country – to another so that final rites can be performed there.
Get in touch with Le Pine Funerals
We’re here to help you plan the perfect farewell.
If you'd like to organise a service, you can call us 24/7, or request a call back online and we'll be in touch as soon as we can.