What To Do First Checklist - Paul Hewitt

What To Do First Checklist

In the event of a death, there are important matters that should be considered. Some of the items below are partially or wholly taken care of for you.

Who to Call First

? Call the attending physician if the death is expected ? Call emergency services first if the death is unexpected ? Contact your local coroner's office if the death is unexpected and there are no

doctor or emergency services available in your area ? If you are concerned or uncertain about the circumstances surrounding a death

then contact your local coroner's office or the Office of the Chief Coroner (Website er.html)

Organ and Tissue Donation

? Contact the Trillium Gift of Life Network (Website ) for donating the organs and tissue of a loved one

? Whole Body Donation (Website DI_body_donation.html) can expand knowledge and help train future medical professionals

Funeral Arrangements

? Contact a funeral home or a transfer service if your arrangements will include a funeral or a less expensive service known as direct disposition

? Board of Funeral Services (Website ) can be contacted at the following 416-979-5450 / 1 800 387-4458

? Contact a cemetery or crematorium if your arrangements will include a burial or cremation

? Contact the Ministry of Consumer Services, Cemeteries Regulation Unit (416326-8393 / 1-800-889-9768) if you have questions relating to cemeteries and crematoriums

Burial Permit

? Funeral directors are usually responsible for obtaining burial permits ? If the death occurs in Ontario but the burial or other arrangements will take place

outside of Ontario, an Ontario burial permit is required and a funeral director usually assists with these arrangements ? If the death occurs outside of Ontario but the burial or other arrangements will take place in Ontario, a burial, transit or removal permit is required from the jurisdiction where the death occurred.

Death Registration

? To register a death, a family member and the funeral director complete the Statement of Death with information about the deceased.

? Once completed, the Medical Certificate of Death and the Statement of Death are submitted to the local municipal clerk's office by the funeral director

Death Certificate

? The funeral director will issue copies of a proof of death that you can use in certain situations. However, some organizations may require an official death certificate from the Province of Ontario, Office of the Registrar General

? You can Request a Death Certificate online (Website )

? You can also request a death certificate by mail, fax or in person (Website )

? If you have applied for a death certificate already you can check the status of the request with the Online Status Inquiry of the Death Certificate Application in Ontario (Website )

Birth Certificate for a Deceased Person

? If you have a short form birth certificate for a deceased family member, it should be destroyed responsibly to avoid potential identity theft

? Only a long form (certified copy) of a birth certificate (Website ) will be issued to the next of kin, executor, or estate administrator for a deceased individual born in Ontario

? You can Request a Birth Certificate online (Website )

? If a birth certificate has already been issued, learn more about applying for a replacement birth certificate in Ontario (Website )

Death Out of Country

? To report the death of a Canadian citizen who has died abroad, contact the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate (Website ) abroad or Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Emergency Operations Centre (Website )

With or Without a Will Checklist

A will is an important legal document which sets out who will receive (inherit) a deceased person's property and possessions and other personal matters.

With a Will

? Find out if the deceased person left a will ? Contact the estates division of their local Ontario court (Website

) to determine if the will has been filed, otherwise it could be located in a safety deposit box, or hidden within the deceased's home ? Once the will is located it may or may not go to probate in the courts to decide on its legality. ? The executor of the estate carries out the wishes contained in the will ? Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee with a will (formerly known as Letters Probate) is a court grant confirming the executor named in the will is the legal executor of the will. ? The application to file a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee with a will is filed at the Superior Court of Justice located in the county or district where the deceased had his or her permanent residence

Without a Will

? If the person dies without a will (intestate), the estate will be distributed according to the law, (Website ) contact a lawyer for further advice

? If the deceased had no relatives in Ontario, you may contact the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, Estates Section, (Website ) to determine next steps

? Certificate of Appoinment of Estate Trustee without a will (formerly known as Letters of Administration) is a court grant appointing an adminsistrator to distribute the estate of a person dying without a will.

? Information on how to make a Claim as an Heir can be found here (Website )

? If the deceased person's nearest releative is a minor child (under 18 years old) you can contact the Office of the Children's Lawyer (Website ) for assistence

Finding a Lawyer

? Having a lawyer can help clarify the rights and responsibilities of an executor. ? Find a Lawyer or Paralegal from the Law Society of Upper Canada (Website

)

Pensions, Benefits and Personal Finance Checklist

When someone dies there are many different organizations and levels of government that need to be notified. Also, some of these organizations and levels of government may have compensations and benefits to which the deceased person's family and dependents may be entitled.

Compensations, Pensions and Benefits

The executor should contact the following applicable offices to either find out eligibility for or to cancel benefits: Federal

? Canada Child Tax Benefits (CCTB) / Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) (Website )

? Canada Pension Plan / Old Age Security Program (Website )

? Canada Savings Bonds (Website ) ? Goods and Services Tax (GST/HST) Credit (Website

arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/lf-vnts/dth/gst-tps-eng.html) ? National Defence Disability and Death Benefits (Website

cpm.forces.gc.ca/dgcb-dgras/ps/ddi-dib/index-eng.asp) ? Veterans Affairs Disability Program Benefits (Website

) ? Veterans Affairs Funeral, Burial and Gravemarking Assistance (Website

) Provincial

? Guaranteed Annual Income System (Website )

? Ontario Disability Support Program (Website )

? Ontario Drug Benefits (Website )

? Ontario Savings Bonds (Website )

? Ontario Works (Website )

? Quebec Pension Plan (Website )

? Trillium Drug Program (Website )

? Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Benefits (Website 9d7210VgnVCM100000449c710aRCRD)

Other ? International Benefits (Website ) ? The executor should contact former employers of the deceased for company pensions

Income Tax

? The executor must complete an income tax form for the deceased ? Guides and forms for completing a tax return for a deceased person

(Website ) are available as well as more information from the Canada Revenue Agency (Website ) ? Accountant referral services are available from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (Website ) and Certified General Accountants Association of Ontario (Website )

Banks, Financial Institutions, and Credit Cards

? The executor should contact the deceased person's banks and financial institutions

? Information on Canadian banks is available from the Canadian Bankers Association (Website ang=en)

? Information on Ontario Credit Unions (Website ) and Caisses populaires (Website ) are also available

Family Responsibility

? The executor should contact the Family Responsibility Office (Website ) for support payment conditions, if applicable

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