Funeral Guidance

What to do when someone dies

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We have the necessary equipment and staff to facilitate removal of the deceased back to our premises and can be with you usually within the hour – every day.

Please e-mail or call 01304 201322 anytime for an immediate and personal response.

What to do

If someone dies in their own home or yours or a nursing or residential home then their G.P surgery should be contacted. If the doctor has recently seen the deceased (by law within the last 28 days) and if the death was expected and due to natural causes then the doctor will now arrange for a qualified nurse to attend to confirm the death. After they have done this you can then contact us 24/7 to arrange a collection.

If the death is sudden, unexpected, accidental, due to an industrial disease, due to suicide or violence then the police should be called who in turn will call the Coroner’s office and they will explain what will happen (see coroners section).

If someone dies in a hospital or hospice they will be removed to their own mortuary (or another local mortuary). Then the next working day the relative support officer or patients clerk or administrator will contact the last attending medical practitioner to establish if they can issue an acceptable medical certificate of cause of death. You should therefore contact the relevant office (please call us for the number) and wait to be told when the death certificate has been completed. The death certificates are now usually scanned directly to Kent Registrars so once received they will call you to arrange an appointment to go to one of the registrars offices.

Kent Registrars prefer you to book on-line here: www.kent.gov.uk or their number is 03000 415151 and lines are open every day except bank holidays, between 8am and 8pm. If you need to speak to a registrar it is the same number but they are available only on weekdays between 9am and 5pm (exc. bank holidays).

Deaths in Kent can now be registered at ANY KCC run library in Kent but you must ring for an appointment. Take to the registrar the “Medical certificate of cause of death” (The doctors certificate – unless it has already been scanned directly to them) and also the deceased’s medical card if available. You do not need to take birth and marriage certificates as long as you know the details contained on these.

When cremation is chosen (and the coroner is not involved) the issuing Doctor must also complete a cremation certificate. This is the hospital/hospice or funeral directors responsibility to organise and therefore we will liaise with the necessary office/doctors to have this completed and collected. Please note that we cannot collect the deceased from a hospital or hospice until these are completed and this can sometimes take several days.

The coroners office will contact any doctors who last attended the deceased and if possible see if they can issue an acceptable death certificate. if not possible a post-mortem examination will need to be carried out and there will be three possible outcomes. The first and most usual will confirm that the deceased has died of a natural cause; the coroner will then release the deceased and issue the relevant paperwork to the registrars, crematorium or funeral director. If the death is found to be not from a natural cause or further tests are needed to conclude a cause, then an investigation or inquest will be opened and the coroner will normally require a formal identification of the deceased by a relative. If any one is to be prosecuted for the death then usually there will be a second post mortem carried out for the defence.

Funeral arrangements should not be finalised until the coroner gives permission, although when a date for the post mortem has been confirmed a provisional funeral booking can usually be made. In all cases one of the coroners officers should keep you informed of what is happening and when it is happening. If an inquest is necessary this will be opened and then adjourned so that further investigations and enquiry’s can take place. The deceased will be released so that the funeral can take place.

To register a coroners death (non-inquest or investigation) you should telephone the registrars 03000 415151 the day after the post mortem to see if they have received the paperwork from the coroner. This replaces the doctors death certificate. If they have received the forms then you can make an appointment to go and register the death – you will not need any paperwork from the doctor. If the funeral is a cremation then you do not have to register the death before the funeral as the coroner sends another certificate directly to the crematorium (or funeral director) which allows the funeral to take place. You should however register the death as soon as possible. If the funeral is a burial then you MUST register the death before the funeral and you will be given a green certificate which you should give to us.

If the coroner opens an inquest or investigation into the death then you will not be able to register the death until after the inquest or investigation has taken place and a verdict recorded (NB this may take months). In these cases the coroner will issue you an ‘Interim Death Certificate’ and to us either a cremation or burial order which allows the funeral to take place. The interim death certificate should be presented where necessary to any banks, solicitors etc and if you have any problems regarding this you should refer them directly to the coroner.

All deaths of UK citizens occurring in another country and when the deceased is to be returned to the UK are now reported to the coroner into whose jurisdiction the deceased will be brought. The same procedure then applies as previously described although the difference being that you can never register the death in this country. You can apply for a consular death certificate in most cases and this will be in English. Please ask me for an application form but please note there is a fee to pay for this and it can be a lengthy and complicated procedure.

Please take your time in deciding on what type of funeral you would like and do not hesitate to ask us for any advice about anything. You can get an instant estimate on our COSTS page. Our office hours are 9am to 5pm Monday-Friday (exc. Bank holidays) but the phone is always answered at other times and we promise that you will always receive a personal response, usually from Paul or Alex. Once you have decided on burial or cremation and where you would like the funeral to take place please give us a call 01304 201322 and we will confirm as soon as possible a mutually convenient date and time for the funeral. Please remember that along with our diary commitments, the crematorium or cemetery may already have bookings and vicars/ministers have their diary commitments as well. We will always do our best to accommodate your wishes but some flexibility is appreciated.

All other details and forms for the funeral can be discussed and completed at your convenience either in our office here at 12 Beaconsfield Road, Dover, in the comfort of your own home, or if necessary by post. Please remember that cremation and cemetery forms need completing as soon as possible so we can forward them in time for the funeral. If you would like a FREE home visit please do not hesitate to ask, call us any time 01304 201322.

Once arranged you will be given an immediate verbal estimate of the total cost of the funeral. We will confirm this by email or in writing asap along with details of the funeral arrangements. Any changes can be made or additional services requested and we promise an extremely respectful and professional service no matter what the total cost is.

D D
D D
18:35 25 Jan 22
We were very grateful to Sullivan and Son for their care and kindness after the death of my uncle. They took care of everything and made sure that everything went smoothly on the day of the funeral and during the planning.They were very courteous and respectful throughout the process and were constantly available whenever we had questions. Highly recommended.
Mark Popple
Mark Popple
16:12 10 Nov 19
Paul & his team looked after my grandmother. From start to finish the service and professionalism he gave us was simply outstanding. We thank you sincerely. A very caring business. Thanks Mark.
hollie jenkins
hollie jenkins
16:59 30 Oct 19
Top funeral place. When my grandad john died they listened to what my nan and the family wanted. They went above and beyond and went the extra mile even after the funeral! My nan recieved a little card with my grandads name on and stone. I would highyly recomend them to anyone! Thank you sullivan & son!
Jan Baker
Jan Baker
13:20 01 Jul 19
I can't recommend these guys enough, Paul and his team were really understanding and helpful. I have used other funeral directors, based in Deal before and the service received was very different. If I am unfortunate enough to need the service again I would not think twice about going to them. Highly recommend. Thank you to Paul and team you made a difficult day more tolerable.
Peter Baynton-Power
Peter Baynton-Power
12:42 21 May 19
We were recommended to Sullivan and Son by a relative and we are so pleased we went to Paul when my mum passed away. He was very helpful, explained everything and ensured all went very smoothly. A big thank you to all at Sullivan and Son for the care and service you provide
shaun reardon
shaun reardon
10:45 06 Mar 19
Sullivan and Son are the gold standard in funeral directors. Through a family contact I contacted Paul to arrange the funeral of my mother. From the first contact he was courteous, compassionate and very efficient. I live abroad so could not attend his office personally but this made no difference as everything went perfectly. They even acted as liaison for the various organisations that my mother belonged to in arranging uniformed representatives from the Scouts, the RAF and the British Legion.Alan was the funeral director on the day and I could not have asked for a more friendly and professional service. He and his team were immaculately turned out as were the vehicles. They effortlessly accommodated last minute changes such as when my son and I wanted to be part of the bearer party at the church and also at the crematorium. Nothing was too much trouble and it just worked.Words alone cannot express my thanks and I highly recommend them.
Jenny Simmons
Jenny Simmons
17:54 05 Nov 18
I have known Paul Sullivan and his staff for about 7 years, from when I worked at Hawkinge Crematorium.My Father passed away on the 26th August 2018 and I cannot thank them enough, for the kind way they looked after Myself and my family.I knew Dad was in the most capable hands and was well cared for.We took out a Prepaid Funeral Plan, so the sad business of arranging the Funeral, had already taken place.I would highly recommend Paul and his staff; Julie, Alex and Colin. Lovely Caring and always on the end of the phone if needed.A lovely gesture a courtesy phone call, a couple of weeks after the Funeral, to check how I was coping.
Sean -Private- Hale
Sean -Private- Hale
18:22 04 Sep 18
Highly recommended, Julie and the team were excellent
Richard Leveson
Richard Leveson
20:52 21 Mar 18
I have known of Sullivan and Son for over ten years and they were the unquestionable choice to conduct my mother's funeral in January 2018 when she died aged 101.I had one meeting with Alex Sullivan to set things in motion and was most impressed with his unpretentious and efficient handling of all the necessary details. Alex and Paul Sullivan (who officiated at the funeral) are warm, compassionate, obliging and, quite simply, very likable personalities. I could not have been more satisfied with their service.
John Heather
John Heather
11:08 17 Feb 18
Paul and the team were awesome in how they handled my sisters funeral. They were kind,attentive and highly professional in all their dealings with my entire family.Au unexpected death is always going to be difficult - the cremation most of all,but Paul helped us through the whole event with calm and good humour - nothing was too much troubleThank you once again Paul and team - I cannot recommend this service too highly
Peter Smith
Peter Smith
11:52 08 Feb 18
My father sadly passed away in December, and his funeral took place in January. From start to finish Paul and his team at Sullivan & son were absolutely fantastic. Hugely empathic and professional. Understanding of your situation and willingness to help is always at the forefront in order to get what you want for your loved ones final journey. I would most definitely recommend there services to anybody.
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