Before, During and After the Funeral Service
Someone You Love Has Passed Away
The passing of a loved one is a difficult time and the care, support and understanding from our ladies can make all the difference.
Before the funeral service we will support you through the process by:
- Gently guiding you through all steps for the arrangement of a funeral service.
- Assisting you in applying and collecting necessary certificates and documentation.
- Answer all of your questions.
- Being there for you and your family through this difficult time.
We commit ourselves to being there for you in your time of need and to looking after you and your family from start to finish of the funeral service and beyond.
In this section you will find information about:
- Who to notify when a death has occured
- Who is responsible for organising the funeral, including information about the Executor and what impacts on the funeral costs
- What to expect from us during the funeral service
- What to expect from us after the funeral service
- Benefits of planning ahead with a prepaid funeral
Who Is Responsible for Organising the Funeral?
It's most common for the Executor named in the will, or for family members or friends, to arrange a funeral together with a funeral director. In some circumstances the funeral will be arranged by a public trustee. While not essential, many people prefer to use a funeral director to relieve them from the burden of many decisions that have to be made at such a difficult time. There are many decisions that need to be made when arranging a funeral service, and funeral directors are trained, experienced professionals who assist families from the moment a death occurs until well after services are completed.
How Long Between Death and the Service?
The length of time between death and the committal service can vary depending on your instructions and the circumstances of the death. There is no need to feel too rushed.
WHO TO NOTIFY
A list of who you should notify when a death has occurred
To start, family and friends of the deceased should be notified. It can help to have a trusted family member or friend act as the point of contact for all these people.
There are others who also need to know, though not necessarily straight away. This list might be of help in taking care of this important detail, to close accounts.
- The Executor nominated by the deceased
- Centrelink
- Department of Veteran's Affairs
- Superannuation companies
- Solicitor and/or public trustee
- Accountant
- Banks, building societies, credit unions, financial institutions, credit card providers, loan companies and digital monetary accounts such as eBay and PayPal
- Employer/former employer
- Trade unions or professional associations
- Australian Tax Office, Australian Electoral Office, Medicare
- Insurance companies including life, accident, home and contents, vehicle
- Friendly societies
- Doctor, dentist, specialists, hospitals, chemist, health benefits fund
- Main roads - car registration
- Clubs, organisations and associations
- Church or religious organisation
- Household help, gardening services or Meals on Wheels
- Home nursing service
- Home delivery services - e.g. newspapers and milk
- Home appliance rental, medical aids rental company
- Post Office for mail delivery
- Local Government for rates, fire levy, etc.
- Ambulance service
- Telephone company, electricity company
- School or college
- Companies - e.g. for directorships
- Chamber of Commerce
- Service organisations - e.g. Rotary, Lions, Apex, Zonta, Red Cross
- Blood bank
- Social media and e-mail accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Gmail
MORE ABOUT THE EXECUTOR
Learn more about the Executor and their role
An Executor is a person named in a Will or appointed by a court to finalise a deceased person's financial affairs.
The Executor takes care of all the property, paying any bills and taxes, and seeing to it that assets are transferred to their new, rightful owners. If probate court proceedings are required, the Executor must handle them or hire a lawyer to do it. When someone passes away the Executor should be notified as soon as possible. It is advisable that an Executor get professional advice or assistance, if only to determine their rights and responsibilities in the matter.
If a Will cannot be located, the role of the Executor usually rests with the next-of-kin, who should seek professional advice before attempting to finalise matters.
HOW MUCH WILL A FUNERAL COST?
How your choices can imapct on the funeral cost
The cost of a funeral will vary depending on what you want from the funeral service, and your desicions about things such as:
- Whether a burial or cremation is preferred.
- The type of funeral services required (whether there will be a memorial service after the funeral, whether the funeral is large or small, the location, the different service providers chosen etc.).
- Type of coffin or casket – a coffin is shaped to the body so that it is broader at the shoulders and tapered at the feet whereas a casket is rectangular in shape. Coffins and caskets come in a variety of materials and the costs vary greatly depending on your selection.
- If a burial service, then the cost of a burial plot for a grave, or in some cases a mausoleum or family vault is used.
- If a cremation service, then the cost of an urn or other cremation memorial such as a rose garden, a cremation estate or a niche wall placement.
- Fees paid to other professionals for services provided as arranged by our funeral directors, such as opening and closing the grave, paid newspaper notices, honorarium for clergy, florists etc.
At White Lady Funerals and Mareena Purslowe Funerals we offer a range of funerals to cover all requirements, depending on your wishes.
During the Funeral Service
On the day of the funeral service, your White Lady or Mareena Purslowe funeral director and her colleagues will be with you every step of the way. Our ladies will ensure everything is taken care of, so that you can be there with your loved ones.
We provide a calm, gentle presence with our experienced funeral directors attending to every detail. You can be assured that we will look after you and make sure the funeral service runs exactly as planned so that you can focus on what is important; the service and your family and guests.
After the Funeral Service
Our female funeral directors entering a service venue for a funeral.
A dove release can be a symbolic way to release and say farewell to your loved one.
Our support continues even after the funeral. Some families need more than just support during the funeral service and we can offer you extra support in dealing with the loss of your loved one.
Our program of after-care assists families once the funeral service is over. Activities include special memorial services on Mother’s Day and at Christmas to celebrate the importance and memory of your loved one. These events are a very special time for friends and families to gather together and celebrate the life the people they are missing. Our female funeral directors also respond to requests to present information on a range of ‘dealing with grief’ topics, because knowing more can sometimes be very healing.
After the funeral service it is common to arrange a memorial. If you arranged a burial service then part of the arrangements would have been deciding on a burial plot and the type of burial memorial you wanted. If you arranged a cremation service then you may choose between a range of options for memorialising the ashes. More information on memorial options is available on the memorials page.
Planning Ahead
You may have been a guest at a funeral arranged by White Lady's or Mareena Purslowe's funeral directors, arranged a funeral for a loved one with us yourself, or heard from someone who was touched by the distinctive style of funeral service we provide. If this is the case, you may wish to preplan your funeral service with us at one of our funeral homes.
Preplanning a funeral service for yourself or a dependent ensures our support and attention to detail will be there to make the funeral service you commission as perfect as it can be. We will make sure every wish, every detail is taken into account and that there is ultimate care for you, your wishes and your family.
This has many benefits. You can choose to plan and document your funeral wishes for when the time comes, or you can choose to prepay the funeral service you planned out, to make sure your family and friends won't need to worry about funeral expenses or making sure your funeral reflects your wishes.
More information about the benefits of preplanning and prepaying a funeral is available in the Preplan a Funeral section.