BURIAL OR CREMATION?

One decision that has to be made very soon after the death is whether the body is to be buried or cremated. Cremation is by far the most popular method in the UK – over 70 per cent of people dying in the UK are cremated. It is normally a far cheaper option since you do not have the expense of a gravestone or burial plot, which can be particularly expensive in urban areas where land for burial is scarce.

However, you need to take into account the deceased’s wishes and the practices of the deceased’s religion. Muslims and most Jews, for instance, traditionally opt for burial. The Cremation Society of Great Britain can explain what is involved and offer advice.

If you decide on cremation, you should inform the doctor who makes out the medical certificate and he will sign an additional certificate authorising cremation. It is a legal requirement that two certificates (B and C) – or rather two sections of the same certificate – are signed by different doctors. You will receive a telephone call from a second doctor who is independent of the first one and who will ask you brief questions relating to the circumstances of the deceased’s death. This is very much a formality and it should not cause you any concern.

One of the doctors will ask for the name of the funeral director and forward the certificates to this address. If you are doing all the funeral arrangements yourself, they should be sent direct to the crematorium or burial authorities.