This can be challenging for families who are grieving and dealing with several practical issues after death.
The practical issues include:
- Storage of the body (in the absence of refrigeration, a body starts to decompose within hours).
- Possible embalming of the body (a professional service) or cold storage before the cremation.
- a coffin.
- Transporting the body to the crematorium: you need some paperwork - see Transfer (of) Bodies
- Completing the application (Form A).
- Notifying friends and family (e.g. by a death notice in the local newspaper).
- Registering the death within 3 days of a burial or cremation.
Once a person has died, his or her personal health information remains confidential, accessible only to the executor.
Key steps:
An eligible doctor or Nurse Practitioner must complete a Death certificate and Cremation Certificate (Form B).
The crematorium should be contacted to make a booking in advance.
The whanau must consult together and agree that a cremation is approved.
A "near relative" or executor must complete the Form A application and bring this to the crematorium
Contact the Medical Referee (details from the crematorium) to organise review of the certificates
- the Medical Referee must view the medical cremation certificates and the Form A application.
Once the Medical Referee approves the cremation, he or she will send a "Permission to Cremate" to the crematorium.
There is a fee to be paid for the Referee to review the paperwork, make appropriate enquiries and issue a permission to cremate.
Other resources:
Community Law NZ: Cremation legal requirements
DIY Funeral NZ paperwork