Funeral Directors

It is a common misconception that you cannot contact the funeral director until the death has been registered. You do not have to wait until you have registered the death before contacting a funeral director. The organising of a funeral can be carried out as soon after death as you feel comfortable. Your chosen funeral director will need the Certificate of Burial or Cremation (also known as the green form), which the registrar will give you. If the death has been referred to the coroner the funeral director will liaise with the coroner’s office for you. You may wish to approach more than one funeral director to get an estimate of their costs before making your choice; you will find that your chosen funeral director will be able to guide you in every detail in making funeral arrangements. Your chosen funeral director will be able to act on your behalf; they will contact the hospital mortuary to arrange collection of the deceased and any necessary documentation. There are no universal standards applying to funeral directors but some are members of a professional organisation operating under a code of conduct.

The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) are two examples of these. Funeral director’s addresses and telephone numbers can be obtained from the internet, local telephone directories or in the back of this booklet. The bereavement office is not able to recommend any funeral directors.