The Fog of Grief and Paperwork
We have all heard the term “Fog of Grief”, that hazy, out of focus feeling, felt when we have experienced loss in our life. After the loss of a loved one we are confronted with the task of making many time sensitive decisions that are accompanied by what seems like a mountain of paperwork. Our grief can prevent us from fully comprehending the choices, verbiage and paperwork we are presented with while making funeral, cremation and cemetery arrangements. To help you familiarize yourself with the documents you will be presented with during funeral arrangements we have listed several below and given a brief explanation of what they are for.
Medical Certificate of Death
This legal document is completed by the coroner or attending physician and is then obtained by the funeral home on your behalf. It confirms that a death has taken place and outlines the cause of death and any associated medical information. This document is used to register the death with the municipality and apply for a coroner’s authorization to cremate the deceased. The Medical Certificate of Death is kept on record with the government and is used for statistical record keeping. The Medical Certificate of Death may be requested by an insurance company or other organization when applying for benefits.
Proof of Death Certificate
This legal document is completed and signed by a funeral director and is used to notify companies and organizations of a death in some estate matters. It is typically given out to the executor or the next of kin. When funeral arrangements are complete the funeral home will issue several copies of the Proof of Death to you. There are some situations however that this document is not sufficient, and a Certificate of Death is necessary.
Certificate of Death
This legal document is obtained from the Province of Ontario by applying via fax, mail, online or in person at a Service Ontario location. This document may be required to settle estate and insurance matters and to access or terminate government services like a health card or pension benefits. There is no restriction on who can apply for a death certificate and no restriction on the number of death certificates you can apply for and receive.
Coroner’s Authorization for Cremation
This legal document is obtained typically by the funeral home on your behalf. It is a required document to proceed with cremation. It is issued by the coroner after they examine the Medical Certificate of Death and by issuing this Authorization this document stipulates that there is no further inquisition necessary into the person’s death. It is necessary only for cremation because the cremation process does not allow for any further medical testing.
Burial Permit
This legal document is obtained typically by the funeral home on your behalf. It is issued by a municipality during the death registration process. The burial permit is a required document and must be obtained prior to carrying out a burial or cremation. The burial permit is then kept on file with the cemetery or crematorium as a record of the disposition of the deceased.
Certificate of Cremation
This document is issued by the crematorium after a cremation has taken place. It accompanies the urn in which the cremated remains of the deceased are held. This document must be obtained prior to carrying out the burial, scattering or inurnment (placement into a columbarium) of cremated remains in a cemetery. This document acts in place of burial permit which would be kept on file with the crematorium in which the cremation took place. The Certificate of Cremation is kept on file with the cemetery as a record of the disposition of the cremated remains.
Letter of Content
This document is issued by the crematorium after a cremation has taken place. It accompanies the urn in which the cremated remains of the deceased are held. It can be a separate document from the Certificate of Cremation or the same document as long as it expresses that at the time of packaging only the cremated remains were present in the urn provided. This document is necessary when shipping or flying with cremated remains. During shipping or flying this document must accompany the cremated remains at all times. The Letter of Content may be used in place of a Certificate of Cremation when carrying out the burial, scattering or inurnment (placement into a columbarium) of cremated remains in a cemetery.
Cremation Application
This document is filled out by the applicant typically either the executor or next of kin with the funeral home or crematorium when cremation is chosen. It provides the crematorium with information about the deceased and the applicant so they can proceed with the cremation. The Cremation Application may also serve as a contract with the crematorium that outlines payment arrangements and other contractual obligations.
Contracts
Contracts are required during every stage of funeral arrangements. The funeral home, crematorium, and cemetery will have contracts for the services they provide you. These contracts will outline the services provided, the costs associated, payment arrangements and any contractual obligations.
Interment Rights Certificate
This document is provided to you by the cemetery after you have purchased a lot, niche or other type of cemetery property. Although it is commonly referred to as a deed, an Interment Rights Certificate is in fact not a deed as land ownership resides with the cemetery. The Interment Rights Certificate is essentially a letter of permission from the cemetery granting the holder the right to direct burials and authorize memorialization (according to cemetery by-laws) on the lot, niche or other property detailed on the certificate.
Making funeral, cremation and cemetery arrangements and completing form after form while struggling through the fog of grief is overwhelming. However by being proactive and understanding the terms and documents now, you will be better prepared when faced with them in the future.