The right documents needed after death

Having the right documents needed after death can make a world of difference. Anyone who has processed a deceased estate will tell you that it’s a lengthy, drawn-out and difficult experience.

In 2024 I helped a number of families with limited means to navigate through a truly stressful and frustrating process with organisations that have no idea of the added layer of grief they impose on people trying to deal with their processes. Just getting the right documents needed after death in place to process a death became, for some, insurmountable. But I learnt a few things along the way that might help your loved ones to navigate it better when it’s their turn.

Grief can blindside us at the most inconvenient times (Exhibit A: the Kmart fiasco), whether we’re grieving a recent loss or one from 30 years ago (it can feel just as painful as it did back then). It’s important to just let go and let it have its way with you without judging yourself.

Here’s what I learnt last year about the documents needed after death

You need to get the right documents to process your death in place before insurance companies, government departments, banks, utilities and superannuation companies will even begin to deal with a deceased estate.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This article won’t encompass all the potential alleyways your loved ones/Executor will go down to process your estate, but it does cover some of the most elements of getting the right death paperwork together. You’ll need to speak with your accountant and solicitor about more intricate matters such as land holdings, business/company holdings etc.

Six critical documents requested in our dealings with organisations:

1. An ORIGINAL, FULL birth certificate of the deceased(a copy certified by a Justice of the Peace was also acceptable)

2. An ORIGINAL, FULL death certificate (they’ll accept the Interim Death Certificate sometimes until the full certificate arrives). Note you can ask for numerous copies of the death certificate when you order it from a funeral director

3. A valid Last Will and Testament (that’s another article!), or proof of next of kin (e.g. the next-of-kin’s full birth certificate showing their relationship to the deceased, or an original marriage certificate, if relevant).

4. Photo ID of the deceased AND the person making application for funds such as a Driver’s Licence and Passport

5. A copy of the insurance policy (or at least the policy number) or the superannuation fund membership number etc.

6. Once the claim had been processed, organisations wanted a scanned bank statement showing the recipient’s full name, bank account number, BSB number and its physical address (for privacy, make sure you redact any balance that might show with a thick black pen).

Getting certified copies of the right documents needed after death is a must

This step is very important, because most of these organisations do their business online, so they want certified copies of all of these documents scanned and uploaded to their websites. HOWEVER, each organisation has its own list of whom they deem appropriate to certify documents. One may require that a Justice of the Peace or solicitor is to certify the documents; others may allow a pharmacist, (try getting that to happen when a pharmacist is busy processing scripts!), an Australia Post staff member etc., to certify documents, so always check their guidelines to provide the right paperwork for a claim. Get at least three, maybe even five certified copies of each original document.

A surprise element

I found that it was far easier to transfer funds to a beneficiary if they had an account at the same bank as the deceased. It was more involved and took longer to get the funds transferred to another bank (?!@?), so it might be a good idea for potential beneficiaries to open up an account (even with a minimal amount in it) at the bank where your funds are held.

Get the right documents needed after death to process your death in place NOW

It is much easier for you to get the right paperwork to process your death in place while you are alive (except for the Death Certificate of course), than it is for someone to try to gather it once you’ve gone.

So… if you don’t have the right paperwork now, make it a priority to apply for it from departments such as the Lands Department (for land and property holdings)and  the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state/territory where the document was originally created (e.g., if you were born or married in NSW, you’ll apply to the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages).

Ensure your will is current, filled in and signed correctly (one I dealt with in 2024 had the person’s address missing but everything else meticulously filled in and it was deemed ‘incomplete’ and useless by the bank).

Then photocopy these documents along with your driver’s licence and passport and the deceased’s, and have them all correctly certified (on every page) as copies, THEN scan the certified copies so they can be uploaded if necessary and tell someone where they are stored (write it in the Rest Easy Journal if you have one).

Although I thought I had the right paperwork for processing my death in place to make it easy for my son when I die (he is both Executor and my next of kin), having walked others through this process last year had me realise that there was much more that I needed to do. It was a pain to do it all, but believe me, making the effort now to get the right paperwork in place will save your next of kin/Executor months of stressful negotiation via long phone calls and strings of emails to get business entities to release your property to those who rightfully own it.

Always seek professional advice

The tips in this article are based on my personal experience as a layperson only. I always recommend that people seek professional advice when dealing with legal documents and finances.