There are countless decisions to make when it comes to planning a funeral. You’ll need to answer a few obvious questions like where the service should take place alongside more subtle considerations like who will be registering the death. It can seem like a daunting prospect, whether you’re planning a funeral for yourself or for a loved one that’s recently passed away.
Planning a funeral is never as simple as following steps one through five, but focussing on all the overwhelming details required to make the service as personable as possible can make the process seem like an impossible task. In this article we have highlighted the four compulsory steps you must take when planning a funeral in the UK. That leaves you to focus on the little touches that make the service perfect for you.
Registering a Death
If you’re planning a funeral for yourself, registering a death isn’t necessarily the first thing you need to think about. Yet it’s worth bearing in mind that you can’t be laid to rest until a registrar has issued a death certificate. We recommend naming an executor in your will who can take care of the death certification or establish a funeral plan that provides funding for a Funeral Director to take care of that side of things for you.
Pre-Funeral Arrangements
The next step in planning a funeral is to find out whether the deceased had a pre-arranged funeral plan or made any arrangements for when they passed away. This might include life insurance or savings, or simply their wishes recorded in a legally-valid will. If you’re planning a funeral for yourself, you can make this step easier for your relatives by leaving behind clear instructions as to how you would like to be memorialised.
Please remember that accessing funds from bank accounts and insurance policies can be tricky, particularly if your family is engaged in a lengthy probate process. Having a prepaid funeral plan is the best way to avoid these issues before they arise.
Funeral Arrangements
Even the most budget-friendly funeral plans must be arranged for a particular time and place, with transportation from the mortuary to the cemetery or crematorium. You’ll need to decide if you would like to provide a heightened level of ceremony for your service, or if the simplest sort of service is ideal for you. Capital Life have five classic plans and two premium plans to give you an idea of the scale and cost of various funeral types today.
Administrative Affairs
The administrative matters that you leave behind must be picked up by your relatives or loved ones when you die. Ideally, the executor named in your will can carry out your wishes within the full remit of the law and with your blessing. Heirlooms and personal effects can be divided as you see fit, and assets or money can be spread however you would like between friends and family. In the absence of a will, your family may have to struggle through a complex probate process and determine how you would have wanted to divide your estate on their own.
Planning a Funeral with Capital Life Funeral Plans
Planning a funeral is never easy, but Capital Life Funeral Plans is here to make it as simple and painless as possible. Grief is difficult enough without piling administrative, financial, and legal challenges on top of the process. That’s why we have established a range of prepaid funeral plans to help you establish a plan that’s right for you ahead of time.
Read The Top 4 Questions to Ask When Planning a Funeral for more information. Or, if you’d like to talk to a member of our team about Wills, Inheritance Planning, Probate, and LPAs or something else, please contact us on 0800 411 8683.