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60%* of UK consumers are fearful of discussing the subject of their own funeral or have a lack of understanding of the available options. As funeral professionals we have listed the most frequently asked questions with answers to help you understand more about arranging a funeral.
*statistics from the Leavewell Independent Consumer Survey March 2023
Do you have any questions that aren't included below? If so please contact us.Each cremation in the UK will release up to 250Kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equivalent to a return flight from London to Rome. Each cremation also requires up to 1359kWh gas, the same amount used by the average UK household over 6 weeks.
Traditional burials require valuable land space as well as requirements for wooden coffins in most cases and a potential contamination risk to the water table. Where the body has been embalmed there is also potential for chemical contamination.
Up until now burial or cremation have been the main funeral types available with cremation selected by 80% of families. Cremation involves the reduction of the body by burning to ashes and is usually a cheaper option than burial. During a burial cremation the body is buried underground usually in a wooden coffin. Variations of traditional burial include burial at sea and natural or woodland burial.
A direct cremation is a cremation only service with no funeral ceremony taking place - The deceased is collected from place of death by the chosen funeral director who arranges the cremation - There is no service beforehand and no family or friends will be present. Ashes are either scattered at the crematorium or returned to the next of kin, usually within 28 days. Direct cremation is usually a lower cost option compared with attended funerals and families have the option of remembering the deceased person in a way that they prefer with or without the ashes.
You can buy a burial plot in advance, how far in advance will depend on the cemetery and the age of the family member. You may choose where the plot is, certain parts of the burial ground may not yet be available and plots must be sold in a structured way - This may mean the plot you want to buy is not yet released. For specific information you can contact the cemetery directly or ask a local funeral director for advice.
Yes they are, it is the law in the UK that all bodies are cremated individually. Crematoriums keep detailed records of the processes and procedures connected with each cremation.
The cremation will usually take place the same day as the service but not always straight after the service. This will depend on how many services the crematorium is carrying out on that day and what their capacity is. Crematoriums are only allowed by law to hold bodies for up to 72Hrs after the service and before the cremation to allow for busy periods and weekend breaks
It is usually the next of kin responsibility to take care of funeral arrangements but it can be a friend or executor of a will. There is no legal responsibility to arrange or pay for a funeral unless you are the legal executor of the deceased person’s will. The funeral costs usually come out of the deceased person’s estate.
If someone dies at home call their GP. Once death has been certified you can call your local funeral director to collect the body. In the case of a sudden death call 999. A sudden death will require involvement with the coroner to establish cause of death and the body will be collected by the coroner’s appointed funeral service. If the person has died in hospital, they will be cared for in the hospital’s mortuary until you appoint a funeral director.
You can choose any coffin from the range offered by the funeral director or discuss purchasing separately if your preferred option isn’t available. Families most frequently choose a low cost option, usually an oak veneer coffin.
Yes, as long as any items you would like to add are permitted by the crematorium regulations you can ask for these to be placed in the coffin. You can ask your funeral director or local crematorium for guidance if unsure. If the person is being buried these restrictions don’t apply.
Yes it is, coffins are not recycled and crematoriums are not permitted to open coffins once they have arrived at the crematorium.
Your funeral director will often recommend 4 coffin bearers. If equipment such as hydraulic wheel biers are available at the crematorium and access is flat, 2 coffin bearers are sufficient and can help to minimise costs. Some crematoriums will insist on 4 coffin bearers but you are free to call all local crematoriums to compare requirements.
Flowers are entirely optional and can be chosen depending upon budget and preferred style. Flowers should be delivered to the funeral director by yourself or the florist on the morning of the funeral if possible.
Families often ask for donations to a nominated charity instead of flowers. After the service flowers are arranged for viewing and disposed of after a few days.
The coffin can be transported by hearse, carriage and horses, a funeral ambulance or any other suitable vehicle. Funeral ambulances are often lower cost options compared with traditional hearses.
You are not obliged to book any other transport other than that needed to transport the coffin.
The short answer is no, you can ask for lower cost transport options such as a funeral ambulance.
The most common one is a funeral ambulance, a specially adapted van for transporting deceased persons on stretchers or in coffins. Other options include horse and carriage. You can actually use any suitable vehicle for transportation such as an estate car, but it’s worth checking with the crematorium you prefer as they sometimes stipulate the types of vehicle they will receive. Again, you can compare the requirements of local crematoriums if one won’t support your preferred choice of vehicle.
There is no legal limit to how soon the funeral has to take place. Many factors can delay a funeral taking place including cost, locating next of kin or coroner investigations. It is likely that if the funeral doesn’t take place within a few weeks of the death the body will need to be frozen due to decomposition.
You can request this with your chosen funeral director and there may be an additional charge for the extra time required.
An average length of time is 3 months as this allows the ground to settle so that the gravestone remains in place.
Ashes are usually available within 7 days of the funeral service for collection by the next of kin or funeral director.
You can invite anyone you wish to the funeral, sometimes the deceased person has left funeral wishes with information about who they would like to attend, usually it will be family and friends/work colleagues etc
You do not need to have a wake and this is a choice both personally and financially
There is no requirement to do this but you may feel that it’s a great way to let people know that you are not directly in contact with.
Issues often arise where the deceased person hasn’t left clear details about their funeral wishes which can lead to disagreements over the funeral arrangements between family and friends. Of course this is also a particularly stressful time for all involved so emotions are heightened which can allow differences of opinion to escalate much more easily than normal.
Yes there is help available - resources include books, online support and in person support groups as well as practical guidance. We recommend visiting Griefchat at https://griefchat.co.uk/
Ask them what they think of Leavewell, it may spark a conversation around preferences and ideas 🙂
Many people avoid discussing the subject of death through fear which is understandable but being able to chat about preferred arrangements is really helpful when the time eventually comes. Having a list of questions may help or if a person doesn’t want to discuss it recommend writing them down instead or including them in a will so that there is a record of wishes.
We recommend that you access advice from a professional group such as Griefchat. More information can be found here https://griefchat.co.uk/
The person who has passed away may have left details of their funeral wishes or taken out a pre paid funeral plan which makes decisions much easier to make. If not or budget doesn’t allow for all of the wishes to be carried out please ‘shop around’, speak to a number of local funeral directors or online options to find out which suits your budget and preferences best.
Some families feel that an expensive and extravagant funeral is evidence of how much a person meant to them which works well if budget is available but the way people approach funeral arranging is changing. Many families are feeling more able to have a service option which is tailored around the loved one, family preferences and budget. I remember one lady telling me that their loved one would have hated a fuss and for them a direct cremation with a family gathering later on was much more in keeping with what they would have wanted.
It’s refreshing that there is an increasing variety of ways in which we can remember loved ones and acceptance that the traditional approach isn’t always the right one.
Before a burial or cremation can take place the crematorium or cemetery will require the following from your funeral director who will be very helpful in guiding you through this process;
The average UK cremation cost including professional fees and service is £3765 and the average cost of a UK burial is £4250. Direct cremation costs an average £1000. It is always best to speak to a few local or online funeral directors for prices and to see how willing they are to provide the service that you want.
The person who has passed away may have already paid for their funeral or have left provision in their will to cover the cost. The executor will take care of this. Otherwise the next of kin or friends will sometime pay the costs. It’s important to note that there is no legal requirement for the next of kin to pay for a funeral, if there are no funds in the estate and no one willing or able to pay, the council will arrange a public health funeral.
This will depend on the type of funeral and the company selected. Direct Cremation usually has to be paid before the funeral and where a traditional burial or cremation has been chosen some funeral directors will require full payment before the funeral and other will take a deposit to cover the disbursements only. Ask your chosen funeral director about payment terms when making your initial enquiries.
This can vary and will depend on your choice of service and your funeral director. Take time to chat through thoroughly so that you understand what you are paying for but costs often include;
Collection of your loved one
Care and preparation before the funeral
Doctor’s fees for the form 4 where applicable
Crematorium or cemetery fees
Celebrant/church representative fees
Transport
Attendance for the service
Professional help and guidance for booking the service and guiding you through the process
Flowers
Coffin
These should be fully explained to you by the Funeral director and itemised on the invoice
It’s always reassuring to have a positive recommendation by word of mouth when choosing a funeral director but online reviews can also be helpful. We recommend speaking with 2 or 3 local funeral directors to get an understanding of which are most suited to your requirements and comparing prices before making a decision. Do not feel pressured or obliged to add additional services or costs that you don’t want or can’t afford and always remember you are not legally required to use the services of a funeral director and can carry out a funeral yourselves
Yes you can arrange a funeral both online with some national direct cremation providers and over the phone with all funeral directors. You will need to sign some paperwork which can be arranged electronically or by post
When booking online or by phone it’s helpful to have reassurance about how and where your loved one is being cared for, especially with national providers where there isn’t a local branch for you to visit. Ask for as much detail as you feel you would like, a good funeral director will happily answer all queries whilst at the same time being sensitive to your bereavement.
It’s a huge leap forward for funeral care in the UK that it’s becoming more socially acceptable to create a bespoke service in a similar way to how weddings have become much more varied in the past 10-20 years. The first step is to consider what you would like rather than what is expected. Have a clear idea about the type of funeral that suits your loved one and family and chat to a few funeral directors about your preferred options. A good funeral director will happily support creating the funeral that you would like and will highlight any areas of difficulty or those that may incur any extra costs and why this is the case.
Embalming is a process where embalming fluid or preservative solutions are exchanged with natural bodily fluids to preserve the body and prevent decay. Embalming may be useful where viewings are required weeks after death but other than this there are few circumstances where embalming is required.
Yes you can decide this, you can provide your own clothes or choose from a selection provided by your chosen funeral director if this service is available, most often families will request that loved one’s are dressed in their own clothes.
Yes you can choose to view the body either at the hospital mortuary or at your local funeral directors. Occasionally families may be advised not to view where there has been trauma to the deceased person or decomposition is more advanced than normal.
No you do not have to view the body, this is your choice and can often incur an additional charge for the necessary preparation.
There may be a slight delay if a post mortem is needed. The coroner will release the body for a funeral once they have completed the post-mortem examinations and no further investigations are needed.
If the coroner collects the deceased person they will remain in the care of the coroner until any examinations or investigations are completed. This may be at the local hospital mortuary or at the premises of the funeral director who carried out the collection.
Any jewellery items on a person when they die will remain on the person until the next of kin decides whether they would like to leave them on the person or have them returned. The funeral director should log all jewellery items at the time of collecting the deceased person to ensure that there is a record of possessions throughout the process.
Between collection from home or hospital and the funeral a deceased person will be cared for at the premises of your chosen funeral director. This should always be in a cold room or refrigerated chamber to slow the decomposition process. This ensures that the deceased person is maintained in suitable condition for viewing as well as keeping premises and working conditions for funeral directors as safe and pleasant as possible.
Depending on the funeral director and the amount of intervention requested, preparations for the funeral may include some or all of the following;
Yes you can ask to see where your loved one will be looked after. Funeral directors keen to offer a quality, transparent service will be happy to show you where the deceased person is being cared for.
Yes if you ask your chosen funeral director they will be able to take a lock of hair or provide fingerprints. Due to decomposition and refrigeration, fingerprints are not always as clear as you might expect so results can’t be guaranteed.
Artificials joints and metal plates or rods are left in place throughout the funeral process. If a cremation has been chosen these items are left after the cremation process and are usually kept for recycling by the crematorium. You can choose to have these items returned if preferred.
Pacemakers need to be removed ahead of the funeral where a cremation is chosen as the batteries in the pacemakers can cause damage to the cremators. Experienced technicians at your funeral directors will be able to remove a pacemaker which is usually located just below the skin surface.
