Some notifications should happen quickly; some can wait until after the funeral and you have a registered copy of the Death Certificate from your state government Births, Deaths and Marriages office.

What to Do

When a death occurs, a doctor must sign a certificate that confirms the death and then funeral or other arrangements such as coronial investigation, are made.

Death at home – an expected death is not an emergency. A doctor will need to attend and certify the death. If the death is unexpected, then call the police.

Death in hospital or care facility – the staff will help and guide you.

Generally state health laws provide the rules about body disposal. There are also laws covering human rights, consumer protection, funeral bonds, pre-paid funerals and more.

At the bottom of this page you'll find links to relevant government sites for initial information.

A  downloadable Word checklist has been compiled to assist you and/or your family with the notification process .
You can fill it in on your computer and save a copy, or print it out and complete by hand, and file the hard copy.

You may also wish to download our Your Funeral Wishes document so your family/friends know your wishes prior to your death.

Internet Search Tips

Government and not-for-profit websites are a great starting point. Some tips:

• Government sites have a .gov.au address

• an .org or .org.au site is usually a not for profit organisation, like us!

• If there is the word Ad before the link, then the site owner has paid to be listed first – they are selling a service!

Write a list of questions

We suggest you do some internet research, talk with family and friends and write a list of questions to ask potential service providers. You wouldn’t buy a car without research; the same applies to funeral service providers. It is important not to feel rushed or pressured.

Helpful official websites

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT >         What to do when someone dies

AUSTRALIAN DEATH NOTIFICATION SERVICE  >   deathnotification.gov.au

A free government initiative to help people get in touch with multiple organisations using a single online notification.