When faced with the loss of a loved one, the grief and subsequent bereavement process can be overwhelming. Many people find that the added challenge of arranging for the funeral is a process that is simply too difficult to navigate alone. Fortunately, professional funeral directors are available to help those who are grieving work through the many decisions they’ll be required to make related to the funeral service.
Role of a funeral director
In the UK, funeral directors help the bereaved with all of the funeral arrangements, including whether or not it will be religious in nature, selecting and ordering invitations, how much to spend on the funeral, the order of service, and the date, time and location of the funeral. Even though the funeral cannot be finalised until the death is registered, contacting a funeral director and making the arrangements ahead of time will ensure that everything is taken care of and can move forward once the official registration has been completed.
Along with assisting in making funeral arrangements, funeral directors often aid in decisions that aren’t directly related to the service itself. This can include where to donate flowers once the funeral is over, how to place death notices in the newspaper, and providing information on caskets and coffins. Often, funeral directors will have a previously established relationship with more than one coffin manufacturer, so they will be able to offer a variety of choices in a wide range of prices.
Selecting a funeral director
While it is legal to handle the funeral privately, given the emotional state of the family, as well as the amount of work involved, most people opt to hire a professional to handle the arrangements, given the critical role of funeral director plays, perhaps the most important decision related to making the arrangements is determining whom to hire and what criteria to use when making that decision.
In the UK funeral service industry, there are two primary trade associations, including the independent funeral directors (SAIF) and the national association of funeral directors (NAFD). The single most important criteria that should be used when evaluating whom to hire is to ensure that the director belongs to one of the two organisations, because each requires its members to operate within the law, and within the ethics code that each has established internally. It’s a quality filter of sorts that ensures the consumer he or she will receive fair and ethical treatment and service
If something goes wrong
Another reason why it’s important to select a funeral director who is registered with either NAFD or SAIF is because, in the event that the director is negligent, or the consumer is dissatisfied with the services or prices, he or she has recourse with the association. Both the NAFD and SAIF offer conciliation services where consumers can file disputes against their members.
People are at their most vulnerable during times of bereavement, and having to contend with a litany of decisions only adds to the grief. A professional and ethical funeral director can help abate any additional grief, and make the process less stressful