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If you have lost a loved one or you are acting as the executor of a deceased estate, you may need to know how to register a death, how to get a death certificate and how to carry out the instructions in a person's will.
You must register a death with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages within 14 days of the date of death.
You may need to get a copy of a death certificate for purposes such as closing an account or changing a billing name with a utility provider.
Probate is the process of proving and registering a will in the Supreme Court. The court will provide a 'grant of probate' which is a legal document proving that an executor is authorised to administer the estate of the deceased person.
In certain circumstances you may be able to contest a will. The court will then make a decision as to the validity of the claim and how the will of the deceased should be changed.
When a person dies apparently from non-natural causes or where the cause of death is unknown, a doctor cannot issue a death certificate and the Coroner must be advised.
An executor is responsible for following the instructions of a will in accordance with the deceased's wishes. Among other duties, an executor has to look after any property or finances and pay bills.
When a person dies without a will it is called dying ‘intestate’. If a person dies intestate, the law sets out how their property will be shared out after all the debts have been paid.
Life events are significant stages in your life - birth, eighteenth birthday, marriage, change of name and address, retirement, and death. From here you can select which organisations you wish to notify of one of these major events.
Becoming a parent