Welcome to F.W. Marsh Funeral Services

Let F.W. Marsh take care of funeral arrangements for you. Based in St. Helens, we work across Merseyside and provide a sensitive and compassionate service to meet your needs.

Who to contact when someone dies

If someone dies at home, we advise informing the local doctor as soon as possible. They can arrange for a death certificate to be issued. If a death occurs in hospital, then the hospital staff will arrange for the death certificate to be issued by one of the attending doctors. If you would like a cremation, then speak to the hospital, or to us, so that the appropriate paperwork can be completed.

Death at Home

  • It is best to inform the local doctor as soon as possible. A death certificate may be issued at the surgery for you to collect or they may issue one when they attend you.

Death in Hospital

  • The hospital staff will have arranged for the completion of the death certificate by one of the attending doctors. If you would like a cremation to take place then either inform the hospital, or us, so that an additional form (the Cremation Forms 4 and 5) can be completed.

Required documentation

There is a range of documentation and information you will need to hand to ensure the proper procedures can be carried out after someone dies. At F.W. Marsh, we can help you compile and organise this documentation and information and guide you through the processes required. The list below includes all the information we will ask you for when you contact us after a death.

  • The date and place of death
  • The full name of the person that has died
  • Any other names the person may have been known by, for example if the person has changed their name by deed poll
  • The deceased’s date and place of birth
  • Their occupation and whether they were retired
  • Their usual address
  • Their surname before marriage or civil partnership
  • The full name and occupation of their wife, husband or civil partner
  • You will also need to give your full name and address and state your relationship to the deceased

The registrar will provide:

  • A green form to be given to the funeral director allowing the funeral to proceed
  • A white form (BD8) to be sent to the Dept of Work and Pensions giving details of pension or benefits
  • A death certificate if required, there will be a minimal charge for this (usually £11)

Documentation you will need

The medical certificate of cause of death issued by the hospital or GP if the person died at home or in private residential care. If the coroner is involved he will issue the form for registration and send it to the registry office once a post mortem has taken place.

Information you will need

  • The date and place of death
  • The full name of the person that has died
  • Any other names the person may have been known by, for example if the person has changed their name by deed poll
  • Their date and place of birth
  • Their occupation and whether they were retired
  • Their usual address
  • Their surname before marriage or civil partnership
  • The full name and occupation of their wife, husband or civil partner
  • You will also need to give your full name and address and state your relationship to the deceased

Advice on probate

Dealing with the estate of a relative can be confusing. At F.W. Marsh, we have years of experience in advising relatives on matters to do with probate, ensuring you are fully informed about the process of administering an estate. We can provide you with advice and guidance, based on whether the deceased has left a valid will. Please don’t hesitate to ask for support with probate when you speak to us about funeral arrangements.

Probate

  • When someone dies somebody has to deal with their estate (money, possessions and property left) by collecting all the money, paying debts and distributing what remains to those who are entitled to it.
  • Probate is the court’s authority; given to a person or persons to administer the deceased’s estate and the document issued is called the Grant of Representation. This document is usually required by the asset holders as proof to show the correct person or persons have the probate services authority to administer the deceased person’s estate.
  • The probate service deals with ‘non-contentious’ probate business and issues Grants of Representation
  • Probate (when a deceased person has left a valid will and an executor is acting)
  • Letters of administration with a will (when a person has left a valid will but no executor is acting)
  • Letters of administration (usually when there is no valid will)
  • These grants appoint people known as personal representatives to administer the deceased persons estate
  • For further information on this you may want to look at the Probate Service website

The Coroner

In some cases, where a death happens suddenly following no medical interventions in the 14 days prior, then it must be reported to the Coroner. A doctor may inform the Coroner on your behalf, and the Coroner’s role is to establish the cause of death. The deceased can be released, and the funeral allowed to proceed once the cause of death has been identified. If the death is determined to not be due to natural causes, then an inquest must be held to establish further details.

Reporting to the Coroner should not give cause for undue alarm. F.W. Marsh will communicate with you throughout the process so that you are fully informed, whilst ensuring we are ready to proceed once the funeral arrangements can begin.

The Coroner

  • If the deceased has not been seen by his/her doctor within 14 days prior to death or the death is sudden then it is required to be reported to the Coroner. The doctor may inform the Coroner on your behalf.
  • The Coroner’s role is to establish a cause of death, and this may be done by post-mortem. Once the cause of death has been ascertained, the deceased will be released allowing the funeral to proceed. This process can take a few days or more. We will then be able to tell you when the death can be registered. Note that if a Coroner’s Inquest is needed (death thought to occur due to unnatural causes), this can take some time. We will be able to advise you on this.
  • There are a number of reasons why a death may have to be referred to the coroner and depending on the circumstances requires special procedure. However, these should not give cause for undue alarm.
  • The Coroner is a judicial officer, independent of local and central government, who is required to act in accordance with certain laws. Any sudden or unexplained death must be reported to the Coroner who must then ascertain the cause of death and investigate any unusual circumstance.
  • Sometimes the Coroner may be able to ascertain by simple enquiry whether the death was due to natural causes and allow a doctor to issue the death certificate. If this is not the case a post-mortem examination may be held.
  • The post-mortem examination will usually indicate the cause of death and in this case the Coroner will issue the relevant paperwork to the registrar and funeral director allowing the funeral to proceed. However, if no obvious cause of death is found, toxicology may be required.

If the death is not due natural causes (for example a road traffic accident) the Coroner is obliged to hold an INQUEST. This enquiry is to determine:

  • The identity of the person
  • When, where and how the death occurred
  • The cause of death
  • The inquest may often be adjourned for several weeks while the relevant information is gathered. However, the Coroner will issue the relevant documentation for burial or cremation and provide the next of kin with an Interim Death Certificate until the inquest is finalised.

The funeral director is fully conversant in this area and will liaise with the Coroner on your behalf.

Funeral Plans

We can take care of all aspects of funeral planning, including:

  • Coffins or caskets
  • Hearses and limousines
  • Arrangement or cremations or burial plots
  • Floral tributes
  • Placement of notices or obituaries
  • Access to memorial masons
  • Working with local churches or venues
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Let F.W. Marsh take care of funeral arrangements for you.

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