Writing a death notice

What is a Death Notice?

A death notice is a type of listing placed in the obituaries of a newspaper. It is written by the family of the deceased and typically organised by the funeral director. The reason someone may want to write a death notice is to notify immediate and extended family members and close friends about the person’s passing.

The death notice is a formal written publication that contains very little information. It usually includes the personal details of the deceased as well as family, and funeral information to inform other people of the passing. It may include the person’s:

• Name

• Time of Death

• Birth Date

• Funeral date and location

There are a variety of factors to consider when creating a death notice including:

• Who is responsible for creating it

• The budget

• Verifying the accuracy of the details

How to write a death notice

It is up to you on how you want to word your death notice. However, you want to make sure that you don’t leave out anything critical. A death notice should include personal information, family information, and funeral ceremony details. They are usually done in the following order:

1 – Key Personal Information

• The deceased’s full-name – you can also include any nickname that they are regularly called.

• Date & Location of their death – include their age at death.

• Date and place of birth

• Details of their spouse, followed by their children (oldest to youngest)

• Details of their children’s spouses, grandchildren, and any other surviving family (such as siblings, cousins).

• Details of their parents.

• A photo that is memorable.

• Any achievements or major involvements – in career or volunteer work.

• Any other information that is a major part of the person’s life – hobbies, community work, religion, interests, talents.

2 – Key Funeral Information

• Date of funeral service

• Time of funeral service

• Location of the funeral service

• Food, flowers, decorative, or attire requests – optional.

• Special or personalised instructions from the family – optional.

• Contact details.

Tips to write a better death notice

While your writing style doesn’t have to be perfect to write a death notice, you still want to have the correct details. After all, you only have one chance to get it right.

1 – Get the family together

Getting the family together, whether in person or through video-call (conference style) will really help you gather all the information in an accurate and timely manner. It will also give you all the opportunity to discuss and agree upon any other announcements or funeral arrangements.

2 – Double check the spelling

Double check the spelling of:

• Peoples’ names

• Places

• Organisations

3 – Avoid mentioning the cause of death

The reason for this is because you want to focus more on the celebration of life rather than placing emphasis on how they passed away. If it is not possible, at least limit the details.

4 – Spend time editing and consolidating details

Decide what’s absolutely necessary to include in the death notice. As much as you can, edit and reduce any unnecessary information. It’s important to consider that since you’ll likely be charged per line of lettering, you want to use those words wisely.

5 – Proofread the notice (and ask others to do so as well)

While it’s important for you to proofread the notice, it is also helpful to have several other people proofread it as well. Since you spent a lot of time editing, amending, and rewording sentences, it’s best to get a few other people to see if there is anything you overlooked.

6 – Be clear and concise

You don’t have to worry about using sophisticated and fancy words when writing a death notice. It’s actually better to be as simple as possible so all the information can be clearly understood.

How much does it cost to publish a death notice?

The cost depends on how you publish your death notice. There are a few ways you can publish a death notice.

You can publish a death notice through a local newspaper (either in the deceased’s hometown, where they lived most of their life, or both). The price depends on the newspaper you decide to publish the notice in. It is best for you to contact them directly for their prices.

You can also publish the notice in print and digital formats to distribute them to more people, and make sure that they are aware of the death and funeral arrangements ahead of time. Either way, you want to consider the different requirements and limitations that they have in regards to:

• Photos

• Character lengths

• Other restricted content

• Subject Matter

How do you find a death notice in Australia?

While you can find out about someone’s death in a variety of ways, you can still search for a death notice in Australia. You can find them through your local, state, or national newspapers in the obituaries section. You can also find them online: one of the most used platforms for this is My Tributes. It is a website that includes the updated death, funeral, and tribute notices in both print and online.

This is one of the administrative tasks that you would be doing when a loved one passes away. You can learn more about the other administrative tasks involved through theSafewill Blog, such ascreating a Will orapplying for Probate.