Where to go for more support Community Law Your local Community Law Centre can provide you with free initial legal advice on how legal aid works, whether you might be eligible for the service, and the next steps. Find your local Community…
News & Media
A death in the family A guide for families/whānau dealing with the loss of a loved one What this chapter covers Overview Confirming and registering the death How the cause of death is confirmed by a doctor, nurse or coroner and how…
Confirming and registering the death Overview Note: In this chapter, we use the term “the deceased” to refer to the person who has died. When someone dies, the death and the cause of death have to be confirmed by a doctor or…
Confirming and registering the death Confirmation by a doctor or nurse of the cause of death When can doctors and nurses issue a certificate of cause of death? Burial and Cremation Act 1964, s 46AA-46B If a person has died after an…
Confirming and registering the death Coroners’ investigations and post-mortems When do deaths have to be reported to the coroner? Coroners Act 2006, ss 13–15 In some cases, the doctor or nurse who first sees the body will have to report it to…
Confirming and registering the death Registering the death and getting a death certificate Notifying Births, Death and Marriages so that the death can be registered Births, Death, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 1995, ss 42, 47, 48 After the deceased’s body has…
Funerals and tangihanga Arranging the funeral Sometimes, families hand control of funeral arrangements over to a funeral director. However, you don’t have to do this; you and other immediate family may want to be more actively involved in the final arrangements as…
Funerals and tangihanga Tangihanga Whānau and tūpāpaku Release of tūpāpaku (the body) to whānau Coroners Act 2006, ss 25, 26, 32–35, 37 In most cases when a person has died the doctor who looked after them during their final illness will sign…
Burial and cremation Decisions about the deceased’s body: Legal rights and powers Normally there aren’t any problems or disputes about what is to happen with the deceased’s body, and so strict legal rights and powers don’t come into play. The deceased may…
© Community Law, 2025
-
Our Local centres - (Overview)
Specialist centres
-
Donate
to the manual