When a person dies in NSW, a doctor or the Coroner will notify NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages about the death.
Some deaths are investigated by the Coroner to determine the cause of death.
The deceased person's executor or 'next of kin' is responsible for notifying people or organisations about the person's death and arranging the funeral and burial or cremation.
The executor or next of kin will need to make certain enquiries to find out about the assets and debts of the deceased and may need to apply for a grant of Probate if the deceased had a will, or Letters of Administration if the deceased died ‘intestate’ (without a will).
The executor or next of kin will then need to deal with the deceased person’s property by distributing it to the beneficiaries named in the will, or under the rules of intestacy if there was no will.
Funerals
Wills and estates