Who to Notify

When someone dies, family and friends are generally the first people we tell. In most cases, your funeral director will also help you to place a notice in a local newspaper if that's appropriate.

In addition to the person's immediate circle, there are many other contacts who may need to be advised after someone dies. Some will need to be contacted immediately, others can wait a little while. You may also need to wait until you have a death certificate or other paperwork before you can notify some government or financial institutions.

As a starting point, we've put together a list of suggested contacts you might need to advise when someone dies. This will be different for each person, and may not apply to your situation.

You can also use our Important Information Template PDF, 46.38 KB to prepare a list of your own details and contacts, and place it somewhere safe to help family and friends notify others if you pass away.