What to do facing the death of a loved one?

What not to do?

MemorialServices has made an informative infographic on how to act properly in case of the death of a loved one. Usually, a person, facing the death of a close relative is going through severe stress, which negatively impacts on decision making. To help you to deal with situation, we advise you to read this article and follow the recommendations.

01 - Death at home or in a medical facility.

A person died at home of old age or in a medical facility from prolonged and severe disease -

What to do?

If a loved one died at home, you should call a family doctor who will issue a death certificate
If a loved one has died in a hospital (or another medical facility), the certificate will be issued by the hospital doctor.
A medical death certificate must be obtained in any case.

02 -Death in the result of an accident, violence, suicide or death in a public place.

What to do?

Police and emergency medical services (EMS) should be called. The police will determine the necessity of forensic medical examination, and the EMS will issue a medical death certificate.
Delivery of the decedent for forensic examination is provided by a police-called service, the cost of which will be covered by the state.

What not to do?

You should not sign any additional service agreements with the representative of a funeral company. While the decedent is in the morgue, you will have the time and the right to carefully choose the type, time and place of the funeral.

03 - Transportation and storage of the decedent to the morgue.

What to do?

If a person has died at home, it is necessary to call a representative of the funeral company, which arranges transportation and storage of the decedent in the morgue.
If a person dies in hospital, he is taken to a hospital morgue.
The decedent will be kept in the morgue according to the fixed daily fee, which is determined by the medical institution, which runs the morgue. In the case of long-term storage of the decedent, another daily fee will be applied.

What not to do?

Transportation and storage of the decedent in the morgue do not impose any obligations on you. You are not obligated to sign any contract for other funeral services with this particular company. You have the right to choose your own funeral services provider.
Also, do not follow the "recommendations" of the medical staff. You have the right to choose your own funeral services provider, excluding the personal interest of the recommender.

04 - Paperwork. Death certificate, social benefit for funeral

What to do?

A death certificate must be obtained from the civil registry. It is issued only if medical death certificate is provided. Without a death certificate, you cannot get a social benefit for funeral or a place on a cemetery.

05 - Funeral Organization

What to do?

It is necessary to choose the type of funeral - cremation or traditional burial in the cemetery.
In case of cremation, it is necessary to contact with one of the licensed crematoriums of the Republic of Latvia, which provide a full range of services: embalming, farewell ceremony organization with the mourning ceremony presenter or clergyman, collection the decedent’s ash into the urn.
In case of traditional funeral, you need to get a place in the cemetery.
Organizing a traditional funeral, you need to choose a funeral company, study the rates, and carefully go through the list of provided services.
Additional services, such as farewell hall, music, mourning ceremony presenter or a clergyman can be chosen on your own, regardless the funeral company offers.
Funeral floristry - wreaths and bouquets with or without ribbons, can be ordered in any flower shop which offers appropriate service.
Food for the memorial table can also be ordered in any cafe or banquet hall, which provide the appropriate service.

What not to do?

Do not sign a contract on the "Full package of funeral services" without understanding what is included. It is essential to carefully study what these included services mean.

06 - What to do after funeral.

What to do?

It is necessary to clean the grave in 40 days after the funeral.
It is necessary to start the inheritance process. The heir enters into the right of inheritance after 6 months.
It is necessary to order and install a monument or tombstone. Work on the improvement of the grave can be carried out 12 months after death.

What not to do?

Do not wait until the grave "sits down" after the traditional funeral. Usually it depends on the material from which the coffin is made, usually it takes 3-5 years, sometimes 10-12. In any case, the grave’s fencing should be raised to the general cemetery level. Grave’s “sitting down” do not influence on the tombstone installation, as it is not installed exactly on the burial site.

MemorialServices is a portal where you can find generalized information about everything that relates to funeral services, objects, funeral arrangements, cemeteries, grave cleaning, monument manufacturing, sacred objects and legal aid in Inheritance. MemorialServices is a member of the international funeral association FIAT-IFTA, which confirms the exceptional quality of services and goods provided