Death Certificate

A question about : Death Certificate

Hello all,

Thanks for everyone who answered my previous post regarding the death of my father and intestacy. I have another concern but I didn't know who to turn to for help and CAB here is closed.

My dad died on 10/12/2014. He was meant to be repatriated but the repatriation had been delayed due to complications with my gran so he was repatriation on 29/01/2015 in order to be buried tomorrow. I couldn't travel with him for pregnancy related reasons.

Now I paid for everything, repatriation costs and funeral costs in his country of birth (where he is now). Now I received a call from the funeral directors stating that his mum turned up and has refused to bury the body without getting the death certificate. A friend of my mothers collected the death certificate once it was received on the other side and brought it back with him on his flight back to the UK late last night.

My question is, she is stating she is going to start legal proceedings to retrieve the death certificate from me. I am confused here, can she really do that? I am not sure why she needs it, I ensure all the legal burial stuff were sorted out on that side but i am a bit scared she is going to send someone to either attack me for them.

Surely she can go and get her own copy from the registry office? No?

Best answers:

• MY first though was why did you net get a few spares at the time or registration?
  (all death certificates as we think of them are copies of the register)
  Aways handy to have them when dealing with an estate.
  Cannot see what legal action she can take to get a copy from yourself(remember they are all copies).
  Have you taken the simple approach of asking her why she thinks she needs a copy?
  We have no idea of the customs or legal requirements of the country of origin.
• I don't know what she's on about either, so relax. There's no legal action she can take. She could probably apply for a copy of the Register herself.
  Get a couple of copies of the death certificate from the Registrar and send one to her if that will keep her happy.
  The only thing I can think of is that she is being unnecessarily difficult because you registered the death (I presume). You were perfectly entitled to do that so don't worry about it.
• As getmore4 less says, all Death Certificates are copies of the entry in the register.
  If she wants to purchase a copy from the Register Office where his death was registered, she is perfectly entitled to do so. Presumably you paid for your death certificate(s) so what legal action could she possibly take.
  Are you able to talk to her?
  Candlelightx
• The customs and legal side of things on the other side have been taken care of so there is no problems there at all.
  I do have a spare copy but I am not sure how that is going to help her when I have that here and she is over there. She originally asked for the death certificate to get money to help bury the body. She didn't need to do that because i paid for it all. So I thought it was just a case of her going home to bury the body now so to get a petty call like this has really infuriated me because I know one of her sons (my dads half brother) has a history of prison time for assault and GBH so I am sitting here wondering if she is going to try and get him to come to my house to intimidate me because she refuses to talk to me directly.
  She won't try anything there, she will just try it here in the UK. I just don't understand what the complication is and why she can't just wait to come back to the UK and ask for it. I mean I am not sure what she feels she is going to gain from it and if she doesn't want to ask me, can't she just go and get herself a copy?
• Is the funeral director saying that they cannot bury your dad without it, or are they simply passing on a message to say she is saying that they must not until she has it?
  If you can, I would be inclined to scan and e-mail it to the funeral director and to tell him that she will be able to get a duplicate from the registry office if she wants one.
  if you have an e-mail address for her, cc the mail to her. That way, she has a scan of the certificate which will mean she has any information she wants, and also as all the details she would need to get a duplicate if she thinks she needs a hard copy for anything.
  If she has said she needs a hard copy then you could offer to send her a hard copy provided that she pays you upfront for the cost of sending it International Signed for (or however she wants it sent) plus the cost of the certificate.
• It is difficult to understand because we do not know the country where he died, and I appreciate you don't want to mention this, but if you instructed the Funeral Directors and paid for his repatriation (which is no small amount) why are they taking notice of his Mother when you are their client.?
  Candlelightx
• I agree. I would call or email the funeral directors, explain that she has no authority and that the burial needs to go ahead as planned and paid for.
  (obviously this assumes that you are the executor and that the country this is taking place in accepts that that gives you legal authority)
• Oh dear Rose what a terrible time for you, Grandma sounds to be a formidable woman.
  Is there anyone in the family you could talk to who she couldn't intimidate. I appreciate she is grieving,but surely it is in everyone's interest to lay your poor Dad to rest, and you really do not need all this worry.
  I hope someone will come along who can give you some constructive advice,
  Candlelightx