Jamie Pearson funeral director

• If a death has occurred in Scotland, it must be registered in Scotland even if the person who has died lived elsewhere. It should be registered within the statutory period of 8 days from the date of death, and it can be registered at any registrar’s office in Scotland.
• There is no longer any requirement to pick up the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, also known a Form 11, from the GP or hospital. There is also no need to attend a registration office in person as all registration is now carried out remotely over the telephone.
• After a death, the Doctor will send the Medical Certificate Cause of Death (MCCD) direct to the Registrar by email. They will also include the contact details for the person they would expect to have the legal authorisation to register the death (the informant). We routinely email the Registrar with contact details of who is going to carry out the registration just in case of anything being missed.  It’s usually expected that the person responsible for registering the death will be a relative of the deceased. If a relative isn’t available however, then any of the following people can register the death:

• • Any person present at the death
  • The executor, or another legal representative
  • The occupier of the place where the death took place
  • Any person who has the necessary information required.
• The Registrar will call the informant on receipt of the MCCD  to make a telephone registration appointment.
• During the telephone registration, the Registrar will ask the informant which funeral director has been appointed to arrange the funeral. This is because they will send a Certificate of Registration of Death (Form 14) by email (jamiepearsonfuneraldirector@gmail.com) to the Funeral Director. This document confirms that the death has been registered and is required before a burial or cremation can legally proceed.
• Please be aware, around 12% of MCCD’s are chosen for review during the registration process but  don’t be alarmed if this happens. The selection process is totally random and is designed to check the quality and accuracy of certificates and to improve how this information is recorded. The review process does not apply if the death has already been investigated by the Procurator Fiscal or the death is of a still-born baby.

How a Review Affects You

• If the MCCD is selected for review, the informant  may not immediately be able to complete the death registration. The registrar will explain the review process and timescales and will contact the informant when the review is complete. The funeral cannot take place until the review is completed and  the death is registered.
• Depending on which level of review is to take place, this could mean one working day delay (Level One) or up to 3 working days (Level 2) before the Form 14 will be issued. You should always notify us if your MCCD has been selected for review as this helps us to consider a likely timeframe for the funeral to take place ensuring enough time for the documentation to be completed and lodged with the appropriate authorities.

When Should You Register the Death?

• Although a death can be registered within the statutory period of eight days of the date of death,  our advice is that you register the death at the earliest opportunity in case the MCCD is randomly selected for review. The funeral cannot take place until the review is completed and a Certificate of Registration of Death (Form 14) is produced. A review may result in a delay of between 1 and 3 working days before the Certificate is issued to you.  There will also be other paperwork you need to complete which we have to take with the Certificate to the burial/cremation authorities at least 48 hours prior to the funeral taking place.

Documents to have at hand for your telephone registration appointment

• • Marriage or Civil Partnership Certificate
  • Birth Certificate
  • NHS Medical Card

If you cannot find the Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate or Medical Card, the death can still be registered as long as the following information can be provided:

• • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Usual residence
  • Occupation
  • Details of marriage(s) and or civil partnership(s)

When the registration is complete, the Registrar will issue:

• One abbreviated death certificate, free of charge
• A Certificate of Registration of Death (Form 14) for Funeral Director, free of charge

Documents you may need to purchase

• Although the abbreviated death certificate is free, it does not have the cause of death noted on the certificate. To close down bank accounts or release funds from insurance policies etc., you will possibly need to submit a full, certified copy of the death certificate, which has the cause of death noted. The Registrar will advise on current costs to purchase these. They can be purchased over the telephone using a credit or debit card and will be sent by Royal Mail First Class post.

  Registering the death of a baby or child

  Death occurs before 24 completed weeks of pregnancy

  For legal purposes, when a baby dies at any time before 24 completed weeks of pregnancy, this is called a miscarriage. The birth cannot be formally registered at a register office.

  Death occurs after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy to term

  For legal purposes, when a baby dies after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy, this is called a stillbirth. If your baby was stillborn after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy, then you need to register the stillbirth.  The hospital will give you a Medical Certificate of Stillbirth (Form 6) to take to the registrar. The registrar will keep the Medical Certificate of Stillbirth and will issue a Certificate of Registration of Stillbirth (Form 8). 

  Death of a baby who was born alive or a child

  If a baby who was born alive or child dies, the process for certifying and registering the death and arranging the funeral is the same as that of an adult.

Tell Us Once

• ‘Tell Us Once’ is a service also provided by the registrar to notify government departments, agencies and local authorities of a death with one contact. It can be done at the time of the registration with the Registrar, or the Registrar can  provide a unique reference number for the informant to use the service later online or over the phone.

To use the service please have these documents to hand, if available

• • National Insurance number
  • Passport
  • Driving Licence
  • Blue Badge
  • Vehicle Registration Document.

Registration Offices:

• East Dunmartonshire Tel. 0800 123 4510
• North Lanarkshire Tel.01698 302 206
• Glasgow Tel. 0141 267 7677
• Stirling Tel. 01786 233 961