Using a funeral director

It is a good idea to shop around to obtain quotes from different funeral directors in your area. You can also consider different ways to keep costs down, for example by traveling in your own vehicles, or taking care of some elements of the arrangements yourself.

Funeral directors can take care of all the necessary legal and administrative processes and provide the necessary support to those making the funeral arrangements. They can collect the deceased person and take care of their body until the funeral. They can carry out embalming, where this is requested.

Funeral directors will liaise with the crematorium or cemetery and arrange payments as necessary. They can provide options regarding pall bearers (people to carry the coffin), faith leaders or celebrants to lead a ceremony, floral tributes and order of service booklets. On the day of the funeral the funeral director can take the deceased person to the crematorium or ceremony and liaise with the crematorium/cemetery staff, other professionals, and attendees as needed.

We recommend that you obtain quotes from several different funeral directors to compare their costs and services. Funeral directors are required to display all their prices on their websites and in branch, including a Standardised Price List covering set products and services. This is a good place to start comparisons. Do speak to them about your requirements too, so you can also decide if you are comfortable with the level of service you experience.

• When you are advised of the cost, make sure it includes any disbursements or third-party fees, such as the crematorium/cemetery and faith leader/celebrant fee.
• If you are working to a budget, ask funeral directors if they can help you organise a simple funeral within your budget.
• Ask for their payment terms (which must also be displayed on their website and in branch) and be aware that they often ask for a deposit before the funeral can take place, some ask for full payment in advance.
• Tell them if you are applying for the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment or Funeral Support Payment, or for any charitable grants, in case they can offer a lower deposit or wait for the outcome of these applications before going ahead.

Yes, you can change funeral directors at any point, however, funeral directors will charge for any services they have already carried out, and there may be other terms to be aware of if you have signed a contract. If the person who has died is already in the care of a funeral director, you will need to arrange with your chosen funeral directors for them to transfer them.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, funeral directors are almost entirely unregulated. In 2021, the Funerals Market Investigation Order was brought into force by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). It placed several legal requirements on UK funeral directors, including displaying prices online and in branch.

Aside from this, funeral directors can voluntarily join trade bodies like the National Association of funeral directors (NAFD) or the National Society of Allied and Independent funeral directors (SAIF), which require members adhere to industry-designed codes of practice. However, this is not legally binding. You can check if a funeral director is a member of a trade body at the links above. They should also display their logos.

In Scotland, funeral directors are legally required to abide by a Funeral Director Code of Practice.

You don’t have to use a funeral director. Doing all or some of it yourself is also possible.