Chapter 1: When death happens
Obtaining a death certificate
They gave me a book on death and dying just one day before she died.
While sorting out financial and legal details, family members will find that governments, banks, insurance companies, other institutions, and lawyers require an original paper death certificate in order to deal with benefits, assets, or liabilities.
The original death certificate comes from the attending physician, family doctor, or palliative care team. The funeral home or crematorium can usually order as many additional death certificates as you ask for. The cost of these certificates varies across the country.
You can also order death certificates online for a fee from the Vital Statistics agency in your province or territory. The cost and procedure vary for each province or territory, so if you need more copies of the death certificate, ask how to obtain them.
In most provinces and territories, the death certificate must include the following information about the person who has died. Click the arrows to view.
Full name – gender – age at death
Date of birth – home address prior to death
Father’s and mother’s birth names
Date and place of death
You will also need to state your relationship to the person named on the certificate. The certificate will not include the cause of death.
Words of wisdom
Depending on how many banks, insurance companies, and institutions the person was connected to, you may require twenty or more death certificates. Consider asking the funeral home or crematorium for additional death certificates.
