Product Description

Dealing with bereavement is never easy. As well as the impact of loss and emotional upheaval, there is a complex process to go through, involving registration, funeral arrangements, burial procedures, probate, tax, financial affairs and administration. "What to Do When Someone Dies" makes dealing with the formalities as straightforward and simple as possible. By presenting different options in a clear and logical manner, it allows you to make your own choices rather than being swept along by events. It also advises on how long things take, practical considerations you may encounter and the expenses you are likely to incur. Recognising that people are different, and that what is desirable for some may not be suitable for others, the author considers alternatives to traditional funeral services, the requirements of different religions and less formal arrangements to mark the end of life. This book provides advice on: how to register a death; notifying relevant parties; making funeral arrangements; applying for probate; and, sorting out tax, property and other financial matters.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22042 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-26
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Daily Telegraph
'... a great practical help'

About the Author
Paul Harris is a retired manager of a group of funeral directors and is still involved with the funeral profession. Before this, he trained as an electronic engineer, and later spent 25 years in the Free Church ministry where he organised seminars and lectured on many subjects related to bereavement care. He now writes for various national periodicals.

Customer Reviews

Helpful and practical
When someone close to me finally succumbed to a long term illness I purchased a copy of this book on the recommendation of someone who already had a copy.

Coping with decisions and practicalities in the midst of bereavement is a ghastly experience. This book is helpful, offering practical advice and explaining the technicalities of concepts and unfamiliar procedures. I really didn't know anything about executors and probate, and it was useful to know what to expect when we met with people like solicitors, the vicar and the funeral director. Everyone was helpful but this book let me know what to expect, which was of enormous value to me. The fewer suprises at a time like that, the better.

I didn't read the book from cover to cover, just read the bits that I needed, so I've given it four stars because I cannot comment on the book as a whole. On the other hand, the bits that I read were certainly worth five stars as they untangled a lot of my confusion and helped me to find a bit of direction. It helped the brain to kick in a a time when it truly didn't want to.

I wish that I had read it long before I needed to, and would recommend that anyone with older or unwell family members or friends should read this book, or a similar one, before they actually need to.

Excellent, well structured and informative
Few people are really aware of what needs to be done at difficult times like this. The book is quite comprehensive, dealing with a wide range of issues that need to be done quickly versus those taking months. Its clear when you need to get professional advice, and when not.

Strongly recommended.

This saved me so much trouble
When you lose a loved one, it is inevitable you experience an overwhelming number of emotions all of which conspire to throw you into turmoil when it comes to focusing on "sorting things out". This book led me through the stages from start to finish. Some sections had to be read and reread before I fully took on board the facts, but the flow charts and examples proved to be invaluable. I would have been lost without this Which? book.