What to do in the case of death - your checklist
We would like to support you during this difficult time.
Our checklist can help you remember everything important.
If you have any questions or need support, we are here for you. If desired, we will be glad to visit you at home as well.
Table of contents
Post-mortem examination and legal obligations
In the event of a death, certain steps and legal obligations must be observed.
According to the Berlin Burial Law, every deceased person must be examined by a doctor to determine the date of death, the time of death, the type of death and the cause of death. The relatives, especially spouses and life partners, adult children and parents, are obliged to arrange for this ‘post-mortem examination’ immediately. Any practicing doctor, e.g. the family doctor, can and must carry out the examination upon request.
Natural death and burial procedures
If the doctor has confirmed that the death was natural, you can notify the funeral home of your choice. Please note that according to the Berlin Burial Law, a deceased person must be transferred to an approved storage facility within 36 hours.
Uncertain or unnatural causes of death
If there are signs of an uncertain or unnatural cause of death, the doctor is obliged to notify the police, who will usually issue an ‘appropriation’ and then order for the body to be collected by the forensic pathologist or a funeral director. The costs for this procedural initial recovery on behalf of the police are borne entirely by the police.
You can commission the funeral home of your choice for the subsequent burial, completely independently of the initial recovery. You will not be at a disadvantage if you commission the funeral home of your trust. The company you commission will collect your deceased relative from the forensic medicine department or from the company commissioned to carry out the initial recovery. Do not be alarmed, especially if the death is confirmed by the emergency doctor or another unfamiliar medical professional who does not know your relative’s medical history, it is very common for an unknown cause of death to be given, resulting in the body being confiscated. In the vast majority of cases, the deceased is released a few days later.
Deaths in institutions
If someone dies in an hospital, you will usually be notified personally and asked to arrange for the body to be picked up and buried. Nursing homes and retirement homes, on the other hand, usually do not have their own storage facilities, so they usually arrange for the body to be picked up immediately by a funeral director. Therefore, you should choose a funeral home in advance with your relatives and inform the home about this company as the company to be commissioned.
Contact and further steps
In all the described cases you can reach us 24 hours a day. To arrange everything else, you can find us in our store at Hauptstraße 106 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. You can also arrange an appointment outside of the opening hours If desired, we will be glad to visit you at home as well.
We require certain documents to complete the paperwork in the case of death. You can find a list of the documents required here.
