We understand how hard it is to lose a loved one. To help support you through the process, we have put together a guide to making the funeral arrangements.
At every step of the way, your Charles Stephens Funeral Director or Arranger is here for you.
We will contact you to arrange a suitable time and place to meet with you to begin discussing arrangements. This can be at your local Charles Stephens branch or, if you prefer, somewhere else such as your home.
When you meet us, we can advise you on what to do next and take care of all the necessary funeral arrangements.
A member of staff is available to speak to 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
Caring for your loved one
Your loved one will be transferred to our Clifton House branch in Rock Ferry or to our Mellock Lane branch in Little Neston. This will depend on initial location.
If you would like to visit your loved one, once all necessary preparations have been completed, we can transfer them to your preferred Chapel of Rest.
We ask that appointments are made if you wish to visit either in or out of office hours.
Registering the death
You will need to obtain a medical cause of death certificate from the doctor’s surgery in order to carry out the registration procedure.
If you are not sure how to do this, please ask one of our Funeral Directors for guidance. You will need to register the death within 5 working days of the death occurring.
You will need to make an appointment to register at the Registrar’s Office.
The Registrar will require the following documents:
- The medical cause of death certificate
- The deceased’s National Health Service medical card (if available)
- The birth certificate and marriage certificate may also be helpful to take with you
Other information needed
The Registrar will require the full name of the deceased along with some other personal details, such as their date of birth and address. They will go through this when you book your appointment.
When you register a death you will receive:
- A certificate for Burial or Cremation (known as the ‘green form’). This should be handed to your Funeral Director.
- A certified copy of the death entry. You may require multiple copies of the entry for sorting out the deceased’s affairs. There is a small cash fee for these copies.
Please note: If the death has been referred to the Coroner, the registration process may vary and we will be able to advise you accordingly.
Matters to consider
Below are a few points you may wish to discuss or consider with your family and friends before meeting the Funeral Director.
We are here to guide and advise you on all aspects of the funeral and the points below are purely for reference.
- Did your loved one leave any instructions for their funeral service? For instance, have they taken out a pre-paid funeral plan?
- What type of funeral service is required? A religious service to be carried out by a local parish Vicar or Priest. Or a civil ceremony which is officiated by a Civil Celebrant or a Humanist service carried out by Humanist officiant.
- Would you like to provide clothing for your loved one or would you prefer a funeral gown to be provided?
- Do you wish to visit your loved one at one of our Chapels of Rest? If so, which chapel would you prefer? We have Chapels of Rest at our Bromborough, Heswall, West Kirby, Mellock Lane and Rock Ferry premises.
- Is an obituary notice required? If so, which paper would you like the notice to appear in? The deadline to place a notice in The Wirral Globe or The Wirral News is Monday at 4pm in order for the notice to appear in that week’s edition. We deal with many other newspapers including The Chester Chronicle and The Daily Telegraph.
- What music would you like to be played at the funeral? Consider music choices such as favourite hymns or songs for during the service and music for entering and leaving the funeral service. Please advise us of the title and artist.
- Would you like family flowers or would you prefer donations to a charity of your own choice? Funeral flowers can be ordered via our own florist or any independent florist.
- Consider whether to leave funeral flowers at Landican Crematorium after the service or to donate them instead to a local nursing home or hospice.
- Are service sheets or an order of service required? If so, consider what quantity you will need. An order of service can be beautifully personalised with photographs.
- Would you like donations to be collected after the service? If so, to which charity?
- Funeral bearers are present at all Charles Stephens funerals but should any family members wish to bear the coffin into chapel please let us know.
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