Funeral arrangements checklist
The death of a loved one can be an upsetting and devastating time, and you may find yourself in a state of shock. However, there are a number of practical tasks which need to be completed following the death of a family member or close friend.
To make things slightly easier in your time of grief, it can be useful to keep a funeral arrangements checklist close at hand. With a straightforward guide, you can make sure that you’ve completed the necessary tasks and carried out your loved one’s wishes.
In This Guide:
Things to include on a funeral arrangements checklist:
- Immediately following a death, a death notice must be issued. Depending on where the death takes place, a doctor or the state mortuary will issue this notice. If the deceased hoped to be an organ donor, their family may be asked to give their consent to this.
- A death must also be registered with Home Affairs and a death certificate must be obtained. Although a death notice and death certificate are similar, they are separate documents and each one must be obtained separately.
- Notifying the deceased’s funeral insurance provider should be done as a matter of urgency. You may need their approval before you can begin making further plans, so it’s important to do this as quickly as you can. In addition, you may need to notify the deceased’s workplace, if he or she was employed at the time of their death.
- Depending on where the death occurred, you may wish to arrange transportation or repatriation so that your loved one’s remains can be laid to rest in a meaningful location.
- Notifying family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances can be a difficult task, but it is a necessary one. Often, this can be emotional so if there are multiple people who can assist, share the burden between you.
- At this stage, you can begin to make funeral arrangements. You may know whether your loved one wanted a cremation or burial, for example, or what type of service they would have preferred. In many cases, the funeral director will help you to make arrangements with religious ministers, chaplains, cemetery managers and cremation officials.
- With help from the funeral director, you can select which type and style of coffin you would like your loved one to be laid to rest in. In addition, you may be asked to provide clothing for your loved one to be buried in or to decide whether you would like any personal effects to be placed in their coffin.
- Once you know the date and venue, you can begin to plan more personal aspects of the funeral service. For example, you may want to choose a selection of hymns or songs to be sung. In addition, you may want to help plan the order of the service, have funeral service booklets printed, select pallbearers to carry your loved one’s coffin, make flower arrangements and book funeral cars to take close family members to and from the service.
Paying for funeral costs
Arranging a funeral can be an exhausting and emotional experience. Family members are always keen to give their loved ones a funeral which befits them but organising a funeral can be expensive. By taking out funeral insurance cover, you can ensure that the expenses associated with a funeral, burial or cremation are covered when the time comes.
With individual funeral insurance plans, family funeral insurance policies and extended family funeral insurance cover, you can always access the right level of cover. Of course, there are many variations in the exact terms of each policy.
If your family travels abroad regularly, you may feel it’s important to have a funeral insurance policy which covers repatriation costs, for example. Alternatively, if you’re unsure how you’ll cope with the death of a loved one, you may feel that the best funeral insurance cover is a policy which includes trauma counselling.
Depending on the level of cover you want to obtain, you may be seeking a cheap funeral insurance package which will give you the cover you need at a budget-friendly cost. With numerous plans and policies available, you can find the right policy to suit all budgets.
However, it’s important to compare funeral insurance policies before you make a final decision. As the terms of each policy can vary, you’ll want to compare funeral insurance cover before you decide on a plan that’s right for you and your loved ones.
To learn more or to find funeral insurance today, compare funeral insurance cover now.