What to Do When a Death Occurs and the Steps to Follow

The death of a loved one is a deeply distressing moment.

When a death occurs, important decisions often need to be made quickly, even while emotions are still very present.

This guide was created to help you understand what to do when a death occurs, one step at a time.

What to Do When a Death Occurs: The Essential Steps :

1. Verify Whether a Prearranged Funeral Contract Exists

First, it is important to determine whether the deceased had signed a prearranged funeral contract.

This document may specify:

• The type of ceremony requested
• Burial or cremation
• Selected funeral products
• Financial arrangements already settled
• This contract may be found among personal papers, with a notary, or at a funeral home.

This step ensures that the wishes of the deceased are respected and prevents having to make decisions that were already planned.

2. Have the Death Officially Pronounced

If the person passes away at home

You must first contact the attending physician to officially pronounce the death.

Once the physician has signed the death certificate, contact us so we can arrange for the transfer of the deceased.

If the death occurs in a hospital or long-term care facility

Contact us as soon as possible so we can coordinate the transfer of the deceased to our funeral home.

During this call, an appointment will be scheduled to plan the funeral arrangements.

If the Death Occurs Elsewhere in Canada

When a death occurs in another province, additional formalities are required to transport the deceased to Québec.

We coordinate:

• The necessary provincial authorizations
• Ground or air transportation
• Collaboration between the funeral establishments involved

Since each province has its own administrative requirements, we ensure that all procedures are completed in accordance with current regulations.

If the Death Occurs Abroad

A death outside Canada involves more complex procedures.

Generally, it is necessary to:

• Declare the death to local authorities
• Contact the Canadian embassy or consulate
• Obtain international transportation permits
• Have certain official documents translated
• Organize repatriation

These procedures may take several days, depending on the country and administrative requirements.

In such situations, we guide you through every step to simplify the process and ensure a safe return under the best possible conditions.

Regardless of where the death occurs, our role is to support you, clarify the steps involved, and accompany you with respect and professionalism.

3. Plan the Funeral and Arrangements

During this meeting, we guide you in choosing meaningful rituals to honor your loved one and plan the following details:

• Location, date, and time of visitation, funeral service, and burial
• Church, chapel, or celebrant
• Writing and publishing an obituary in newspapers and online
• Selection of the casket, urn, keepsakes, and/or memorial jewelry
• Memorial items, bookmarks, thank-you cards
• Reception hall and catering services
• Columbarium space rental
• Purchase of a monument and engraving

Each arrangement is handled with care, taking into account your wishes and your reality.

Regardless of where the death occurs, our role is to support you, clarify the process, and accompany you with respect and professionalism.

4. Legal and Administrative Procedures

On the legal side, we assist you by completing the required forms in order to:

• Register the death and request the official death certificate
• Apply for benefits and/or pensions
• Cancel Québec and federal pensions
• Cancel the driver’s licence
• Cancel the health insurance and social insurance cards
• Cancel the firearms licence
• Prepare the burial contract
• And more

When dealing with administrative institutions, they generally require the original death certificate and will make their own photocopy for their records. It is therefore important to bring the original document with you to your appointments.

5. Notify Insurance Companies and Financial Institutions

In the days following the death, it is necessary to:

Contact insurance companies to verify whether a death benefit exists

• Inform pension plans
• Contact financial institutions regarding bank accounts
• Verify account balances and joint account holders

These steps help prevent administrative complications or unnecessary repayments.

6. Locate the Will and Begin the Estate Settlement

It is important to determine whether a will exists.

A notary can conduct a search in the wills registry.

The liquidator (or executor) must then proceed with settling the estate:

• Inventory of assets
• Payment of debts
• Filing tax returns
• Distribution of assets to heirs

Notarial guidance is strongly recommended.

7. Documents to Bring to the Meeting

Make sure you have the following information concerning the deceased:

• Personal Documents
• Social Insurance Number card or number
• Health insurance card or number
• Driver’s licence
• Firearms licence
• Civil information: date and place of birth / marriage
• Parents’ names (mother’s maiden name)
• Official home address
• For the person signing the funeral arrangements:
• Social Insurance Number
• If the person was married, widowed, separated, or divorced:
• Spouse’s Social Insurance Number
• Date and place of birth
• Date of death / separation / divorce
• Spouse’s parents’ names
• Other Useful Items
• Recent photograph
• For visitation: clothing (long sleeves), undergarments, shoes, dentures
• Jewelry, glasses, rosary, and other personal items

Do not worry if some documents are missing.

We will assist you in completing the necessary information.

To Facilitate Your Meeting

PRINT OUR CHECKLIST

We invite you to consult the PDF version of the guide What to Do When a Death Occurs.

This document provides a clear overview of the procedures to complete with government ministries and agencies following a death.

You will find important steps, required forms, and essential information to gather.

A simple. Structured. Reassuring tool. To move forward one step at a time, without forgetting anything.

Because a death does not end with the funeral. Grief can take many forms, and each person experiences it differently.

If you feel the need to talk, to be heard, or to receive support, we invite you to visit our Grief Support page. There, you will find a list of organizations and support resources available in Québec.

External support, at the right time, can truly make a difference in the weeks and months that follow.