Who pays for a funeral?

Most funerals are paid for by the deceased persons family or relatives. It is usually verbally agreed and negotiated by the family members after a person has died. If a person has had a terminal illness then the deceased person may have contributed to this conversation to some extent.

If this is not the case, who pays for the funeral is usually found in one the following ways:

1. The deceased has funeral insurance

If the deceased has paid for funeral insurance then this should cover everything required for the funeral. You may want to read the article about funeral insurance and how it is most often NOT worth it and how  If it can be avoided then do not buy it.  Let’s just say if l was a person who had not a single person in my network l would still not consider funeral insurance. The primary reason being the total price paid overtime is inflated to the total price that would be paid at the time of a funeral. In plain English, it’s a very bad investment.

You may refer to our article on funeral insurance and how it is most often NOT worth buying. In my personal opinion even if l was a person who did not know a single person in my life. l would still not consider funeral insurance. The primary reason being the total price paid for the funeral overtime is inflated to the total price that would be paid at the time of the funeral. In plain English, it’s a very bad investment.

However, if you do feel the need to secure and outline some kind of funeral arrangement then it is best to include it into a legal document such as a will.

In addition, if you still would like to make a down payment to reduce the costs and responsibility for a funeral then one may consider purchasing a resting place (‘Burial plot’- A place where a coffin is buried underground OR a ‘Memorial Niche’- Place in a memorial wall of a cemetery where an urn is placed).  Australia has seen property value increase over the last decade and similarly resting places have also increased in value. Especially in cemeteries close to the CBD of capital cities! If property value falls then perhaps resting places will also fall in value. It all depends on the risk one chooses to take when entering the property market.

2. The will outlines who will pay for a funeral.

Most Australians have completed a will after they reach a certain age. Within the will, assets and finances are outlined and this money can be used to cover the costs of a funeral. Details about how a person wants their funeral may also be written in a will.  However, more often than not there is minimal information for how or what the deceased person wants for their funeral. The funeral arrangement is often left to past conversations, knowledge, and assumptions made by family and friends to what the deceased person would want.

3. If no one offers to pay for the funeral the state will seek out money from the next of kin, and the deceased person’s network.

If the deceased has no will and no assets to their name. The State will begin to seek out the cost of the funeral bill from the next of kin, relative and close friends to the deceased. The parties involved here are usually the state coroner, police and usually hospitals.

4. Destitute funeral

In the event, the deceased has no network associated to their name. The state will begin to arrange a destitute funeral. This is a bare minimum funeral. Ie cardboard coffin, cremation funeral, unattended funeral, sometimes an unmarked resting place. These types of funerals are common for homeless people and mentally ill who have estranged from family and their network for whatever reasons.

5. “I am getting into an argument with my relatives to how much we will spend on the funeral and where the funeral should be held. “

This dilemma actually happens more often than we would expect. In Australia, funerals usually occur within ten days. If there is a dispute between parties and a funeral has to be delayed, the state may intervene. When the state intervenes the decision may be made by a judge who will ultimately decide where the deceased will be buried and under what conditions. The decision will be based on the will, and information provided by all parties.

6. “I need to pay for a funeral and l barely have any money to spend. What are my options?”

An unattended cremation funeral is the cheapest funeral option available in Australia. Sydney Coffins offers this style of funeral. Click here to view this option. Scattering of the ashes instead of purchasing a niche in a memorial wall is also at no cost. The total cost for this type of funeral will be between $1000-$1700. One might ask. Why does this price still seem so expensive? As written on our homepage the answer is as below.

A cremation funeral is made up of several elements and requires time, effort, expertise, and facilities. The following are the minimal elements required.

A minimal funeral with No Service, No Attendance, No Viewing may include but is not limited to:

– Coffin/Casket and Urn Costs
– Administration and coordination fees
– All Legal Certificates and Registrations fees
– Transfer and care of the deceased from hospital/residence to approved location/facility fees
– Care for the body in a licensed facility fees
– Cremation and/or Burial fees
– May also require final resting place fees