TERMINOLOGY

Executor:
This is someone who is named in the will who is responsible for helping deal with the deceased’s estate ie. their property and belongings.

Funeral directors:
Also known as an undertaker or mortician.  They are licensed to arrange funerals and perform rites such as embalming and to oversee the burial and cremation. They can also assist you with the funeral ceremony.

IHT - inheritance tax:
The tax paid on the value of their estate when someone dies.  If a person had assets worth more than £325,000 then 40% of the total must be paid to the government within 6 months of the death, although sometimes there are exemptions and extensions so check with a legal/financial adviser.

Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA):
A legal document that appoints one or more people you trust to make decisions on your behalf.

Order of service:
A guide to the funeral or service handed out to mourners that tells them the music/prayers/details of the ceremony. Often contains photos, how donations can be made and a message about the wake/any gathering afterwards. Usually designed by friends or family with guidance from funeral director.

Probate:
A legal document and process giving you the authority to share out the estate of the deceased according to the instructions in the will. In short, it is the approval of the will. If you are named in someone’s will as an executor, you may have to be responsible for applying for probate. 

Registry office:
This is the local authority’s civic centre where births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships are registered.

The ‘white forms’:
There are two sorts of white forms that are issued when you visit the registrar. The main one for you is the Certificate of Registration of Death and it lets the Department of Work & Pensions know someone’s died. It’s given to you at the registry office and is NOT the death certificate. Its official name is the BD8 form in England, form 3344SI in Scotland and form 36/BD8 in Northern Ireland.

The other white form is the ‘part D’ white form which the registrar will pass on to the funeral director and tells them if the deceased had any implants such as a pacemaker.

The ‘green form’:
Required in order for your funeral director to allow the burial/cremation to go ahead.  The funeral cannot happen until this certificate is given to the burial authority or the crematorium.  At the same time you get the death certificate when you visit the registrar, the ‘green form’ is also issued by the registrar to the undertaker (although sometimes you have to pass it on to them) which allows them to collect the body and keep it at their chapel of rest or funeral home until the burial/cremation. 

Photo: Tash Rosin