Our grief following the accidental death of our child

UK Helpline: 0 345 123 23 0 4 | tcf.org.uk Informing relevant agencies If we are our child’s legal next of kin, we will need to inform various organisations of their death. Depending on their age, this could include their school, university or employer, banks, utility companies and insurance providers. Making a list may help ease the pressure of trying to remember everything that needs to be done. Some organisations will need to see a copy of the death certificate. Requesting several copies when collecting the original will save having to return later. Legal formalities All sudden unexplained deaths in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are referred to the coroner for investigation (or to the Procurator Fiscal in Scotland). Usually, the coroner will open an inquest immediately. This is a formality but the actual inquest may not take place for many months. In the meantime, our child’s body will have been taken for a post- mortem investigation by a forensic pathologist. We cannot organise a funeral until the coroner releases their body. In England, Scotland and Wales, the ‘Tell Us Once’ service is a useful tool for informing all government departments about a death. gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to- contact-and-tell-us-once mygov.scot/tell-us-once