Depending on whether the deceased had documented their wishes for after his or her death, you may find some of the following paperwork.
Funeral wishes
These may be found in a:
Check for important paperwork
Will
Pre-paid funeral plan
Advance funeral wishes statement
Organ donation
You should contact the doctor or hospital as soon as you can to advise them that the deceased wished to donate their organs. If you are unable to find any paperwork and believe that this was their wish, you can contact the NHS Organ Donor Register on 0845 6060400.
Body donation for medical research or teaching
If you find paperwork that confirms that the deceased wished to donate their body for medical research or teaching purposes, you should contact the Medical School as soon as possible. They will provide advice and information on what happens next. To find the nearest Medical School, can call the Human Tissue Authority on 0207 211 3400 or click here.
Other important paperwork
At the same time you may also find documents such as:
Birth and marriage or civil partnership certificates
Death certificates of a previous spouse(s)
Divorce papers showing previous surnames by which the deceased was known formerly
Death certificates of a previous spouse(s)
Divorce papers showing previous surnames by which the deceased was known formerly
Documents relating to state pension or benefits including the National Insurance number
NHS Medical card
(This can be given to the registrar of deaths)
(This can be given to the registrar of deaths)
Pension certificates
Insurance policies
Bank and building society accounts
These will be helpful later on, particularly if you need to apply for Probate, so keep them all in a safe place.
Page Last Updated : 06/06/08