Choosing a funeral home

A funeral director will guide a family through several days of decisions. Choosing carefully, and knowing what to ask, makes a real difference to the cost and to how the week feels.

What a funeral director does

Collects and cares for the person who has died, prepares the paperwork the law requires, arranges the burial or cremation, and organises whatever service the family wants. Many also help with notices, flowers, transport, and catering. They should explain each choice and what it costs, and leave the choosing to you.

What to ask

Ask for the price list, and take it away. Ask what is included in a package and what is added later. Ask whether you may supply your own casket or urn. Ask what happens if you want a simpler service than the one being described. A funeral home that answers all of that plainly is the one to use.

Prices for the same arrangement differ a great deal between funeral homes in one town, so it is worth asking two.

Arranging in advance

Some people arrange and pay for their funeral in advance. It fixes the price and spares the family the decisions. Read what happens if you move, if the firm changes hands, or if you change your mind, and tell your family what you have done and where the paperwork is.

Whatever you arrange, say it in your Will as well. Wills are written at the LegalWills website for the country you live in.

After the funeral

An online memorial outlasts the day itself: the story of a life, photographs, and the notes people leave, for family who could not travel and for friends who hear later. Creating one at PartingWishes.com is free.