Most funerals are arranged by the nearest relatives. However, if there are no relatives, anyone close to the person can arrange the funeral instead.
The person may have left instructions about the type of funeral they wanted, and whether they wanted to be buried or cremated. However, there is no legal obligation for you to follow these instructions.
If you do not want a traditional religious funeral, staff at the Register Office can offer you a personalised civil funeral ceremony.
In some cases, you may want to send the body to another country for burial or cremation.
Funeral directors
Many funerals are arranged through a professional funeral director (undertaker). Friends or family may be able to suggest one – or you could look them up in the Yellow Pages.
We recommend that you find a funeral director who belongs to a professional association such as the National Association of Funeral Directors or the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors.
Alternatively, you may want to arrange the funeral yourself. see independent funerals for more information.