Practical concerns when bereaved by suicide: Inquests

Losing someone close to us is always going to be incredibly tough. In the days, weeks, and months following a loss, we’re often left with raw emotions, difficult conversations, and many different practical concerns and challenges.

You may have to inform other family and friends about what has happened, you may have to register the death, arrange a funeral, check if they have a will or a life insurance policy, deal with their estate, and inform organisations about their death, all while navigating the complexities of grief.

What is unique to a suicide loss, is that you may also be asked to attend an inquest, which can be a challenging process to navigate. An inquest is held to formally determine how someone has died. 

An inquest is a public court hearing, which is usually held between 4-12 months after the death. A coroner will investigate the death and decide who will appear as witnesses, and who will give evidence. The aim of these hearings is to understand the ‘how’ of how someone died in cases of suspected suicide. Unfortunately, the ‘why’ is not a question that you can expect to get an answer to at this stage. In some circumstances you may need to wait longer than the average time  before the inquest takes place, as there might be other investigations taking place, particularly in Article 2 cases (e.g. when someone has died in state custody) or if there is a backlog of inquests in Coroners courts.

This investigation is often distressing for those bereaved by suicide as this is an unfamiliar and lengthy process which can be confusing and difficult when you are trying to navigate your grief in these early stages. As inquests are open to the public, there can be  media reporting, and this can feel intrusive and sometimes lead to sensationalised and incorrect elements of the story being told. Whilst you cannot control what is reported in the press, organisations like SOBS have great guidelines for how to deal with the media at this time. 

Once the coroner or the jury have heard all the evidence provided, they will give a conclusion as to how the person has died. There are a few different conclusions they can give: a short form conclusion of a few words; a narrative conclusion with descriptive findings; or a suicide conclusion. However, not all suicides will be formally concluded as a suicide, as there must be factual evidence to show that the person had intent to end their life. The death could be decided as misadventure, accidental or left open. 

It might be helpful to explore the possible conclusions and prepare yourself for different outcomes. 

The jury or coroner will record any failings that may have caused or contributed to the death, especially when Article 2 is applied. The coroner will then create a report with recommendations to any person or authority that has the power to take action to prevent other deaths.

An inquest is a legal, fact-finding, procedure, the aim is not to assign guilt or blame. The formality of the hearing can be difficult, and it can be really strange and distressing to hear family or friends reduced to ‘facts’. 

Since this can be a traumatic process, you may want to consider bringing a friend or relative along with you to provide support and comfort. Alternatively, you can reach out to Coroners’ Court Support service for one of their volunteers to accompany you on the days of the hearing, you can find the areas they cover here.

Having support in the lead-up to, and days following, an inquest can be helpful. You can talk to our Helpline, friends, family, or another support worker about how you’re feeling, what you’re nervous about, and how best you can take care of yourself and how others can support you during this time.

Alternatively, some people find this time to be very overwhelming and prefer some extra time afterwards to process what they have seen and heard. Both are normal reactions, and what is most important is listening to yourself.

The charity INQUEST is a great place to look for information on the investigation process as they provide free independent practical and legal advice on inquests to bereaved families and friends. They are another useful resource to turn to. 

If you would like to talk to someone about anything mentioned in this article, please get in touch by calling our Helpline on 0800 054 8400.