Advice on dealing with the police, coroners, the funeral & other practical elements

The tasks that follow a death can be overwhelming. With mounting time pressure and overload of your own grief, it can be very difficult to navigate. None of us are prepared to deal with these situations, especially when the death is sudden like a suicide, so the best thing you can do is ask for help.

Support After Suicide Partnership has summarised some of the key areas that may need to be addressed with some tips and links to useful organisations. The website is organised very clearly, with headers at the top of the page that are laid out like a timeline in order for you to find the correct resources at the correct stage of grief. They provide guidelines for ‘The First Days,’ ‘The First Weeks,’ ‘The First Month,’ and ‘Facing the Future.’ They cover practical topics such as ‘Registering a Death,’ ‘Telling Those Close to You,’ ‘Arranging a Funeral,’ and more, with advice and resources to help. This is extremely useful to help with the tasks that can seem overwhelming and stressful especially when you have just lost someone.     

A quote from Amelia:

"The three weeks after my mum died was a whirlwind. We organised a close family cremation, wider memorial service and moved out of my family home - none of which I was prepared for at the age of 19. I was lucky to have family members who took care of the logistical and legal side of things but from talking to others I know that it can be very confusing and painful to have to deal with that side of it - police, legal inquiries etc. The one thing I remember logistically was having to ask for her email to be cancelled because I was getting spam emails from her account that were breaking my heart each time. The drawn out process was ridiculous and unnecessarily painful. My advice is to be kind to yourself and ask others for help."

We recommend this resource for anyone who has just lost someone to suicide and are looking for support and guidance on the practical tasks.