When someone passes away, the ensuing process may seem complex and especially burdensome for those coping with grief. The first step is to take a deep breath. The role of the funeral home is to offer support and guidance when the time comes to untangle the steps involved in settling an estate. The large number of documents with the word “death” in the title, in and of itself, can be quite mind-bending. In this case, knowledge and understanding are key. We’ve listed here a few of these documents, along with their definitions and purpose.
Also referred to as an ATTESTATION of Death, a Registration of Death is a form, filled out by a physician, stating the date, time and cause(s) of death. This form includes several copies that are to be sent to the registrar of civil status (Directeur de l’état civil), the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, the statistical institute (Institut de la statistique du Québec), the hospital’s medical records department and the funeral home. This document is required to transport the body of the deceased. To obtain a full copy of this document, you must contact the medical records department of the hospital where the death was pronounced.
This document is usually filled by someone close to the deceased, acting as the declarant of the death, with the guidance and support of the funeral home. The funeral home records information about the deceased, his or her spouse or common-law partner, parents, children, etc. Once all the required information is included, the form is sent to the Directeur de l’état civil. Through this step, the death is officially declared. A copy of the document is available upon request, however, it is not provided automatically.
As its name suggests, this document certifies the death. Its use is rather limited as it does not provide enough information for the purposes of settling an estate. To obtain a copy of this document, an application must be submitted to the Directeur de l’état civil and a fee must be paid.
Issued upon request by the Directeur de l’état civil, a Copy of an Act of Death includes the Birth Certificate, the Marriage Certificate (if applicable) and the Death Certificate. This document contains complete information and is required by financial institutions, the Barreau du Québec and the Chambre des notaires du Québec, namely for the purposes of conducting research regarding a will or opening an estate account. Once again, to obtain a copy of this document, an application must be submitted to the Directeur de l’état civil and a fee must be paid.
This document is issued by the funeral home. While it is an official document, it is not recognized by all. It can be used to cancel a service agreement with a supplier, such as a cable company or a cell phone company. However, further documentation is required to open an estate account.
There are no required documents, however, some documents may be helpful as they contain information you may not know off-hand:
Such a responsibility can be quite overwhelming. The first thing to keep in mind is that it is a lengthy process that can take over one year to complete. Take your time. It can take nearly two months to receive some of the documents. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you.
The funeral home records a significant amount of important information, including your social insurance number, to complete the process. Government authorities are required to verify your identity to undertake certain steps and your SIN is the only sure way to do so.
The funeral home fills out the Statement of Death documentation.
The funeral home sends the Statement of Death to the Directeur de l’état civil. Once the Statement of Death is received, the funeral home requests a copy of the Act of Death. It is important to know that it can take anywhere from 40 to 60+ days to receive this document.
Will searches can begin upon receipt of the copy of the Act of Death. WARNING: It is strongly recommended to have a notary perform this step to avoid any roadblocks or mishaps. Also, a notary can begin the search after obtaining the Statement of Death issued by the funeral home, without waiting for the copy of the Act of Death.
Once you have the will, the search results validating such will and a copy of the Act of Death, you can create an estate account by making an appointment at the financial institution of the deceased.
During this process, the funeral home sends in the various benefit applications: the Survivors’ benefits ($2,500 from Retraite Québec), the surviving spouse’s pension and the orphan’s pension, as required. They also take charge of cancelling the old age pension and filing other related applications.
This step involves liquidating the assets of the deceased, including his or her home and belongings, and cancelling services such as cable, internet, phone, electricity, etc., or licences and registrations.
Once everything is sorted out, you can move on to completing the final tax return of the deceased. If everything balances out, you will receive a government-issued CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE and the process will be over.
You can now take a step back and be proud of yourself for completing this long process.
Je souhaite vous remercier de ma part et de toute ma famille pour nous avoir soutenu tout au long du processus. Depuis la crémation jusqu’au funérailles et malgré les petits pépins qu’on a rencontré. La cérémonie avec Mme Prénovost a été à la hauteur de nos attentes. Merci encore pour votre dévouement, nous l’avons tous apprécié.
Danielle Daoust
Je prends quelques minutes pour vous écrire et vous remercier de la collaboration de tout le personnel de Magnus Poirier, Les Sentiers lors des funérailles de Mme Rita Brisson Paquette.
Nous avons eu beaucoup de félicitations concernant la célébrante, la chanteuse, l’endroit choisi pour célébrer ces funérailles et le service impeccable lors du petit goûter, etc. Bref ce fut un succès sur toute la ligne grâce à vous tous.
Andrée et Gilles Brisson
Merci beaucoup Monsieur Tittel, vos services nous enlèvent un poids sur nos épaules.
Manon Laroque
Je veux vous remercier, vous d’abord Monsieur Tittel, pour votre belle écoute et votre disponibilité lors du décès de mon mari Aurélien Boisvert. Votre approche est humaine et réconfortante. Également, je veux souligner le travail impeccable accompli par le directeur qui a officialisé ou plutôt dirigé la cérémonie à l’église et au cimetière. Il avait toujours le souci et la délicatesse d’aller selon le désir de la famille. Et à la toute fin il a adressé la parole comme si c’était le défunt qui énonçait ses dernières volontés.
Tous étaient unanimes, c’était spécial, unique et touchant. Il est vraiment dans sa profession. Merci de lui transmettre notre gratitude et notre satisfaction.
Émilienne B. Boisvert
Tout au long de notre accompagnement, votre délicatesse a été réconfortante et rassurante, et ce à partir de notre première rencontre jusqu’à la mise en terre de mon papa.
Chacun d’entre vous a contribué à tout mettre en œuvre pour nous faciliter la tâche à chacune des étapes. Je vous remercie d’avoir rendu possible cette belle journée de recueillement et de rassemblement malgré des conditions sanitaires précises à respecter. Soyez assurés que chaque attention a été remarquée et appréciée.
J’aimerais que vous transmettiez nos remerciements les plus sincères à toutes les personnes qui ont été impliquées, de près ou de loin, dans cet événement.
Patricia Savard