What Does a Funeral Cost?

For loved ones the cost of a funeral often comes as a surprise. In 2024, the average cost in the UK is £3,953 which is a 2.5% drop since 2021. Wills and Probate Solicitor, Charlotte Day discusses funeral costs in her most recent blog…

Funeral Costs

We are seeing that a lot of our clients are either opting to pre-pay for their funerals during their lifetime by way of a funeral plan that can be paid for monthly or are opting for a direct cremation.

A direct cremation is a cremation without the funeral service and attendance by the family, which is usually a lot cheaper.

When someone dies it is often a difficult time for their friends and family, and the cost of a funeral can be a surprise. In addition to the funeral itself there are often extra costs to consider such as fees relating to a church service, venue hire, flowers, notices and the wake.

Who is responsible?

We often find that clients notify the bank in the first few weeks of the death which then means that the deceased’s accounts are frozen by the time the funeral invoice is issued.

A lot of families fear that they have to front the cost of the funeral and then reclaim it from the estate, however most banks will settle a funeral invoice from the deceased’s bank account despite the fact that they are otherwise frozen.

The responsibility of organising the funeral and later dealing with the administration of the deceased’s estate falls to the Executors appointed in the deceased’s Will.

Wills are often good places to record any additional funeral wishes, so it is always worth checking the Will before making arrangements. Also, to check that the right people (the Executors) are making the arrangements.

Making sure your affairs are in order

To ensure that the arrangements following your death happen as smoothly as possible you should prepare a Will. Wills allow you to decide what should happen to your money following your death, and who should be in charge of dealing with everything. They can also be used to protect assets against care home fees and a surviving spouse’s re-marriage, and they can be used to appoint guardians to look after any minor children that you have left.