Information for families

Please accept our condolences for your loss. We want to ensure that families go through a smooth process during this time. We have provided a guide to help families through the examination, funeral, and burial processes.

What you need to know

• Not every case that comes into our office will require an autopsy.

• Families should make funeral arrangements as soon as they find out their case has been sent to our office.

  • It usually is not necessary for families to come to our office to identify the deceased. Identification in most cases takes place at the funeral home. If you are needed to come to our office to identify the deceased, a medical legal investigator will contact you

• If you cannot afford funeral arrangements:

  • A funeral director may be able to help you request a burial application and financial assistance.

Additional Resources

Family & Friends Information Pamphlet (English)

Additional testing

The medical examiner may need to perform additional testing as part of the examination. These tests will not delay the deceased's return to family members.

Fees

• Our only fee is a cremation authorization fee. We charge this through the funeral director.