A death certificate is a document that states the date and time of death of an individual. It is an important document for property inheritance, settlement of insurances and a bunch of legal requirements. If someone has died in the house, the death needs to be reported within 21 days of the incident by the head of the house.

In the case of hospital death, the chief medical officer is responsible for reporting the death. The registration process is carried on by the Chief Registrars of state and district level. In case of confusion, know more here.

Now, some states have started the system of online death certificate system. With the initiative of the Government of India, you can now go to online government service portals to issue a death certificate. Application forms are available on the website, which is downloadable. You can take a print out of the forms and fill it out. After filling it up, you can submit the forms to the Chief Registrar.

Documents required to be submitted

Some documents are essential to obtain a death certificate. Firstly, you will need to provide the birth proof of the deceased through documents like Birth Certificate, PAN Card, Aadhar Card, Driving License etc. You need to get an affidavit signed by the medical examiner mentioning the time and date of death of the person. The identity proof of the deceased should be provided through documents like Aadhar Card, Pan Card or Voter Card. The hospital letter or the crematorium receipt should be provided as proof of death. Lastly, passport photographs of the deceased and a signed letter should be provided.

Reasons for delay in the processing of a Death Certificate

• Errors of data entry during the processing can cause undue delay.
• The process can also be delayed if there are mistakes in the application.
• If office staffs are unavailable due to vacations or emergency, it can delay the process.

Role of lawyers in acquiring Death Certificate

It can be really hard to cope with all the legal formalities while mourning the loss of a loved one. The legal formalities can take up too much time. When you do not have time to spare, you need someone to get it done faster. Lawyers are professionally trained in legal formalities. Though it is not necessary to hire a lawyer for issuing of death certificates, they can ensure a smooth flow to the process. While you will be busy with the ceremonial arrangements, the lawyer can work simultaneously to complete all the legal formalities.

The lawyer will first issue a questionnaire to get the details about the deceased and family members. He/ She will draft the documents required like Affidavit, Application Form and send for your signatures. After the affidavit notarization, you send the documents to the lawyer.

Then he, along with all the required documents, will submit your application to the Registrar of deaths. The lawyer can dispatch the death certificate within two to three weeks of submission. The processing of a death certificate is delayed due to various reasons out of your control. Hiring a lawyer saves your precious time.