When a death is reported to the coroner

Why a death gets referred

A doctor or the medical examiner must refer a death to the coroner when the cause is unknown, when the death was violent, unnatural or sudden, when it happened in custody or state detention, or when no doctor who treated the person during their last illness can complete the certificate.

Since the medical examiner system became statutory, every death in England and Wales is now either scrutinised by a medical examiner or referred to a coroner before it can be registered. That has added a step, but it also means someone independent reviews the paperwork.

In Scotland the equivalent is the procurator fiscal, and in Northern Ireland the Coroners Service for Northern Ireland.

What happens next, in order

The coroner's officer will make initial enquiries. Most referrals end there: the coroner is satisfied about the cause, issues form 100A or authorises the doctor to complete the certificate, and the death is registered normally, usually within days.

If that isn't possible, the coroner orders a post-mortem. Where the post-mortem gives a natural cause, the coroner sends form 100B to the registrar and you can register the death, again usually within a week or two.

Where the death was unnatural, violent, in custody, or the cause is still unknown, the coroner opens an inquest. The inquest is opened and then adjourned, and the full hearing may be months away.

The interim certificate is the document that unblocks everything

When an inquest is opened, the death cannot be formally registered until the inquest concludes. The coroner instead issues an interim certificate of the fact of death.

This is the piece almost nobody is told: the interim certificate is accepted by banks, insurers, pension providers, the DWP and the probate service. You can notify organisations, close accounts, claim on life policies and even apply for probate with it. Ask for several copies.

The coroner also issues a burial order or a certificate for cremation once the body is released, so the funeral does not have to wait for the inquest.

How long an inquest takes

The target is to conclude an inquest within six months of the death being reported, but complex cases, those involving other investigations, or those needing a jury frequently take a year or more. The coroner's office should give you a timetable and keep you updated.

Once the inquest concludes, the coroner sends the registrar the details and the death is registered. Only then can you order the final death certificates.

What you can do while you wait

Waiting on an inquest does not have to mean waiting on everything:

• Hold the funeral, once the coroner has released the body
• Use the interim certificate to notify banks, pensions, insurers and the DWP
• Use Tell Us Once, ask the coroner's officer, as it usually runs from the registration, but the DWP can be notified directly meanwhile
• Apply for probate using the interim certificate if the estate needs it
• Claim on life insurance, most insurers accept the interim certificate
• Ask for a copy of the post-mortem report, you are entitled to request it as a properly interested person