In many cases, who is responsible for obtaining a death certificate?

The responsibility for obtaining a death certificate typically falls on the next of kin or a designated representative of the deceased. This is because the next of kin often has the most direct connection to the deceased and is generally involved in making arrangements following a death. They would provide necessary information such as the deceased’s full name, date and place of birth, and circumstances surrounding the death to facilitate the accurate completion of the death certificate.

While funeral directors can assist in this process and may even help guide the next of kin through the paperwork, they do not bear the sole responsibility for obtaining the certificate. Hospital administrations may provide a death certificate in certain situations but again, their role is more about documenting and reporting the death rather than being the ones who officially obtain the certificate for filing purposes. Local government also plays a role in maintaining death records but is not responsible for obtaining the certificate; rather, they are the final authority that processes and issues the death certificate after proper documentation has been submitted.