Funeral Arrangements Checklist

Are you arranging a funeral for a family member? Or would you like to know what to do in the event a family member passes away? Here is a simple checklist to ensure your loved one’s affairs are organised properly after their passing, and that they are given the funeral they deserve.

  1. Report the death to the police, a reputable funeral parlour, and their employer if they were employed. These formalities are critical in order for the death to be formally recorded and a death certificate to be issued.

  2. Inform your extended family and friends of their passing. As this will be an extremely emotional time for you and your family, you will need all the love and support available.

  3. Contact your Funeral Cover provider to inform them of the death of your loved one. This is vitally important in order to claim the funeral policy to help you take care of the costs involved in planning the funeral. Ensure you have the death certificate and any other official documents your provider needs in order to approve your claim.

  4. Start the official funeral arrangements by organising a date, time and venue. These details must be sent out to those wishing to attend the funeral. Ensure you’ve taken note of the deceased’s burial wishes, and organise the burial according to their faith and specifications. This will include how they’d like to be buried, the type of coffin they wished to be buried in, who the pallbearers will be, and a funeral programme or order of events.

  5. During this time, it is also important to take care of the legal side of the deceased's affairs by notifying their banks, creditors, cellphone contract providers, and any other relevant companies that they were connected to at the time of their death. This will ensure that no more money is spent on these transactions and you can arrange for their will to be disclosed to the relevant beneficiary.