CHOOSING A FUNERAL DIRECTOR

While it is perfectly feasible to take responsibility for all of the funeral arrangements yourself, normally only the most committed and enterprising of us do so. At the end of this chapter we recount the experiences of someone with experience of arranging a DIY funeral.

Most people prefer to entrust the funeral arrangements to a funeral director. This takes some of the burden off your shoulders at a busy time and should ensure that the whole procedure goes off smoothly.

Sometimes the choice of funeral director has already been made for you. For instance, the deceased may have left instructions as to which firm should be used, or may have paid into a funeral plan whose administrators may specify which firms you are able to use. However, those in charge of the funeral are entitled to exercise their discretion in this matter.

In most cases funeral directors tend to be chosen on the strength of their reputation rather than the competitiveness of their fees, and it makes sense to ask around for recommendations. Doctors and clergymen will know of the main firms in their area, and The Natural Death Handbook makes its own recommendations. Yellow Pages will list all the funeral directors within a given area.

You could also approach the two trade associations for details of firms in the locality. These are the National Association of Funeral Directors (the larger of the two with over 3,000 members) and the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors. Some firms belong to both. Both the NAFD and SAIF have a strict code of practice which their members agree to observe, which is a good reason for choosing one of them. If the firm employs staff with a professional qualification in funeral management, so much the better

The majority of funeral directors are small independent firms. Some have been taken over by larger companies, such as Dignity, although they may retain their original name. The leading provider of funeral services in the UK is the Co-op, which arranges around 25 per cent of all funerals in the UK.

If the deceased died in a hospice or nursing home, the manager may have an arrangement with a particular funeral director to take the body away, particularly if there is some delay in contacting the next of kin. You have the option of continuing to use this particular firm or appointing another firm.

Non-Christian religious groups have special requirements as to how funerals are arranged, and you should make sure that the firm you employ is aware of these. The local mosque, temple or synagogue will be able to advise you and may point you in the direction of funeral directors which specialise in arranging such funerals, such as the Asian Funeral Service in North London.