What to expect before, during and after a funeral service
When someone you love has passed, it is undoubtedly one of the most difficult times in your life. There’s so much to process and the last thing you want to be concerned with is organising a funeral service. This is where the support, understanding and care from our team can help make a difference.
Our team can support you by:
- Walking you through all the steps involved when organising a funeral service
- Assist in applying for all necessary documentation and certificates
- Remain available to you and your family during this emotional stage to answer any and all questions
Before the funeral
We offer more than a funeral service and are committed to being there for you and your family. Have a read through the below resources for more useful information on:
- Who you should notify
- Information on the Executor, funeral costs and who is responsible for organising the service
- What you can expect from your funeral director during the service
- What you can expect from your funeral director after the service
- How a prepaid funeral can benefit you
Deciding who's responsible for organising the funeral
In most situations, the Executor will be outlined in the will, otherwise family and friends will work together with a funeral director to plan the service. In situations where no immediate friends or family are available, a public trustee will make the arrangements. It’s not essential to work with a funeral director, but many families prefer this approach as it lessens the burden of organising everything during a time meant for grief and remembrance.
How soon after a death should you plan a service?
There is no set timeframe between death and when the funeral needs to occur. If the death requires further investigation, this might delay the funeral further. Religious and cultural factors can also affect this timeline.
It is also important to note that there might be some special circumstances or requirements your loved one left behind for their funeral service.
Our funeral directors can help organise the funeral within the required timeframe, whether it needs to happen immediately or after some time has passed.
Who to notify
After you’ve notified close friends and family of the deceased, it can help to have a trusted individual serve as the single point of contact between all these people.
There are a few external individuals and organisations that will need to be notified. While there isn’t a rush to inform the below individuals and groups, it’s good to tick off each point on this list to ensure you cover all bases:
Executor nominated by the deceased
- Centrelink
- Superannuation companies
- Department of Veteran's Affairs
- Accountant
- Solicitor and/or public trustee
- Banks, credit unions, building societies, financial institutions, loan or credit card providers etc
- Employer and/or former employer
- Trade unions or professional associations
- Monetary accounts such as eBay and PayPal
- Insurance companies including life, accident, home and contents, vehicle
- Australian Tax Office, Medicare, Australian Electoral Office,
- Specialists such as a doctor or dentist, hospital, health benefit fund, or chemist
- Friendly societies
- Clubs, associations and organisations
- Main Roads, regarding car registration
- Household help such as Meals on Wheels or gardening services
- Religious organisations
- Home delivery services for fresh produce or newspapers
- Home nursing service
- Post Office for any mail deliveries
- Home appliance or medical aid rental companies
- Local Government for rates etc
- Schools, colleges or universities
- Utility providers and home phone and internet company
- Chamber of Commerce
- Ambulance service
- Blood bank
- Social media and e-mail accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Gmail etc
- Service organisations such as Apex, Lions, Rotary, Zonta or the Red Cross
The role of the Executor
The executor is either appointed by a court or named in a will and is responsible for finalising a deceased person’s estate and financial affairs. This includes paying all bills and taxes, managing any properties and ensuring all assets are transferred to their rightful owners.
When probate court proceedings are involved, the Executor will either manage this themselves or hire a lawyer to do so. If there is no will, then the Executor role falls to the next of kin. It’s advisable that the Executor also seek professional advice to understand their responsibilities and rights in this role.
How much does a funeral cost?
The final cost will depend on the type of funeral service you want, including decisions around:
- Whether you are seeking a cremation or burial
- The size and location of the funeral service
- Whether you want a memorial service after the funeral
- The type of casket or coffin you choose
- If a burial, the type of burial plot, and any costs associated with a family vault or mausoleum
- If a cremation, there’s the cost of the urn and any other cremation memorial such as a cremation estate, rose garden or niche wall placement
- Any additional professional funeral services such as paid newspaper notices, florists, honorarium for clergy, opening and closing the grave and your funeral director
Here at Mareena Purslowe Funerals, we offer a variety of different funerals to align with your specific wishes and budget.
What to expect during the funeral service
On the day of the service, your Mareena Purslowe Funerals director and her colleagues will be by your side through the entire process. Their role will be to manage every detail so you can focus on grieving your loved one.
What to expect after the funeral service
Our team understand that families often need support even after the service, so we always make sure we’re available to provide on-going care and help you manage the loss of your loved one. We provide an after-care program that assists families once the funeral concludes.
This includes special memorial services at Christmas time and on Mother’s Day to honour the memory of your loved one. These occasions offer friends and family the chance to come together and celebrate the life of the person who meant so much to them.
It’s common to arrange a memorial service after the funeral. There are a range of options available when it comes to memorialising the ashes, please visit our memorials page for more information on the options available.
You can also request for our funeral directors to provide you with more specific information around dealing with grief to help facilitate the healing process.
Planning ahead
Preplanning a funeral, whether for yourself or a family member, means we can plan out every detail in advance so you or your loved ones won’t have to worry about making challenging decisions when the time comes.
You can also choose to prepay for your funeral to alleviate the financial burden on your family and ensure the service is an accurate reflection of your every wish.
Head to our preplanning a funeral page for more information.
If you’ve been to a Mareena Purslowe funeral before or have heard of someone who has been touched by our distinctive style, then you know we can manage all elements of the funeral service. We recommend coming into one of our funeral homes to pre-plan your service.