What to Do When Someone Dies in Tasmania: The First Steps

The hours and days immediately following a death in Tasmania are simultaneously the most emotionally raw and the most administratively demanding period you'll face. Decisions that feel impossibly complex under grief are often time-sensitive. This guide covers what actually needs to happen and in what order.

In the First 24 Hours

If the death was expected (at home, hospice, or aged care): Contact the attending doctor or care facility. A medical practitioner must certify the cause of death. In Tasmania, death certificates must be registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) Tasmania — the death registration form is typically completed by the medical practitioner and lodged by the funeral director.

If the death was unexpected, sudden, or the cause is unclear: Contact Tasmania Police. The death will be referred to the Coroner. During a coronial investigation, the body cannot be released for burial or cremation until the Coroner authorizes it. This can take days to weeks depending on the circumstances.

Arrange the body: Contact a funeral director. They will coordinate with the certifying doctor, take custody of the body, and handle the practical logistics of death registration. If you're using a prepaid funeral plan, check any paperwork the deceased left or contact Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) to trace the trust account.

Secure the property: If the deceased lived alone, make sure their home is secured as soon as possible — physically (locked, windows closed) and administratively. Notify the home insurer that the property is now unoccupied; many policies have conditions triggered by vacancy periods.

Registering the Death and Getting the Death Certificate

Death registration in Tasmania is handled by BDM Tasmania (Births, Deaths and Marriages), part of the Department of Justice. The funeral director typically lodges the required documentation on the family's behalf. However, the official Death Certificate — the legal document required by banks, the Supreme Court, the LTO, Centrelink, and every other agency — is a separate product that you must order from BDM.

Cost: A standard Death Certificate from BDM Tasmania costs approximately $65.96 (2025/2026 fees — verify current amounts at justice.tas.gov.au/bdm as fees are indexed annually). If you need it urgently, priority processing within 24 hours is available for an additional $42.02.

How to get it: Order online through the BDM Tasmania website, by phone, or in person at a Service Tasmania shopfront. You'll need to be an eligible person (typically a family member, executor, or authorized agent) and provide the deceased's full name, date and place of death.

How many to order: Get more than you think you need. Most institutions — each bank, the Supreme Court, the LTO, Centrelink, super funds, share registries — require either an original or a certified copy. Order at least 6–10 copies upfront. Reordering later adds time and cost.

Notifying Key Government Agencies

Within the first two weeks, notify the following agencies:

Centrelink / Services Australia: Call 132 300. They will stop any pension or benefit payments to the deceased (overpayments will need to be repaid from the estate). They will also advise about bereavement payments — a lump sum or continued payments for a period — available to some surviving partners.

Medicare: Notify Services Australia. Cards in the deceased's name should be cancelled.

Australian Taxation Office: Notify the ATO of the death and that you are the executor. The ATO will require final income tax returns to be lodged for the deceased. If the estate earns income during administration (rent, dividends), the estate may also need to lodge trust tax returns.

Department of Veterans' Affairs: If the deceased received veterans' benefits or a pension, notify DVA promptly to stop payments and assess surviving partner entitlements.

Electoral Commission: Update the electoral roll at the Australian Electoral Commission website.

Locating the Will and Identifying the Executor

If the deceased left a Will, find it as quickly as possible. Common locations: at home with important documents, lodged with a solicitor, held by the Public Trustee, or stored with a bank. The Supreme Court of Tasmania also maintains a will registry — if the deceased registered their Will, it can be located there.

If you cannot find a Will, the estate is dealt with under the Intestacy Act 2010 (Tasmania), and an administrator rather than an executor will need to be appointed through the Supreme Court.

Once you have the Will, identify who is named as executor. If that person has died, renounced, or is unwilling to act, a different person will need to apply for Letters of Administration with the Will Annexed.

The After-Death Checklist: First Two Weeks

• [ ] Death certified by medical practitioner or referred to Coroner
• [ ] Funeral director engaged
• [ ] Death registration lodged (usually by funeral director)
• [ ] Death Certificates ordered from BDM Tasmania (minimum 6–10 copies)
• [ ] Original Will located and secured (handle carefully — do not add or remove staples)
• [ ] Executor identified and confirms willingness to act
• [ ] Deceased's home secured and insurer notified of vacancy
• [ ] Centrelink notified
• [ ] Superannuation funds notified
• [ ] ATO notified
• [ ] Banks notified — request date-of-death balances; ask about release of funds for funeral expenses
• [ ] Medicare and private health insurance notified
• [ ] Utilities, subscriptions, and direct debits reviewed (cancel where appropriate, but maintain insurance during administration)

What Comes Next

Once the immediate steps are done, the executor must determine whether the estate requires formal probate through the Supreme Court of Tasmania or can be settled informally. The answer depends on whether real estate is involved and on the total value of liquid assets relative to individual bank thresholds.

The Tasmania Probate Process Guide walks through the complete process — from the initial triage decision through Supreme Court filing, LTO property transfers, creditor management, and final distribution — with checklists and templates at each stage.

See more Tasmania guides →