A COSMETIC surgeon and property tycoon who signed his mother's death certificate neglected to mention suspicious cuts on her wrists, a Sydney inquest has heard.

Dr Jerry Schwartz may have been in breach of medical board guidelines when he signed a death certificate for his mother, Eve Veronica Schwartz, 79, noting as cause of death lung cancer and a collapsed lung, which cut off her oxygen on August 20, 2005.

Along with his mother and late father Bela, Dr Schwartz founded the Schwartz Family Company, which owns a dozen hotels in NSW and Victoria, as well as a shopping centre, a medical centre, and a brewery.

The inquest into Mrs Schwartz's death has heard that Dr Schwartz has been embroiled in a dispute regarding the division of his mother's estate following her death.

Mrs Schwartz, who died in her apartment in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Point Piper, wasn't found for 24 hours, and her death was not reported as suspicious.

However, cuts on her wrists were not mentioned, Glebe Coroner's court heard on Monday.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Mark Higgins, questioned whether Dr Schwartz acted appropriately in signing the death certificate and applying for his mother's cremation, as medical board guidelines recommend that doctors do not perform such duties for family members.

Mr Higgins said the inquest would seek to determine whether her wrist injuries affected the cause of her death, and whether they were self-inflicted or occurred after she died.

"Why was the fact she had injuries to her wrists not persuasive to Dr Schwartz that they were injuries that had unusual or suspicious circumstances to note on the application of his mother's cremation?" he asked.

The cuts were not bleeding, Mr Higgins said, and there was no blood found in Mrs Schwartz's bed.

An employee of White Lady Funerals, Helen Paskins, told the inquest she didn't know if Dr Schwartz was allowed to sign a death certificate for his mother, but she took it as an interim order as sometimes issued by doctors.

Her colleague Anna Kosnar told the inquest the collection of Mrs Schwartz's body was unlike any other she'd experienced.

"I recall lots of candles ... On the bedside table, and on the side of the room, (on) a dressing table," she said, adding that the rest of the apartment was dark.

Neither woman recalled seeing anything unusual when they tagged her with wristbands for the mortuary.

The inquest is also investigating the death of Mrs Schwartz's best friend Magda Wales, 76, who died three weeks later on September 16, 2005.

Her death certificate, also signed by Dr Schwartz, listed as cause of death an "acute cardiac event", ischaemic heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

The inquest continues before NSW State Coroner Mary Jerram.