Frequently Asked Questions

My wife was not a religious person, so although we want a decent funeral for her she wouldn't have wanted a clergyman she had never met standing up and saying a lot of things which would have been meaningless to her. Do you have to have a religious ceremony at a funeral?

No. There is no reason why the funeral ceremony for a person with no religious belief should not be meaningful and moving. In these circumstances our funeral director would take the place of the clergyman to conduct the ceremony. He or she would work closely with the family to create the service that was right for them and for the person who had died. A typical secular service would include poetry, music and a brief address acknowledging the deceased person's life, character, and achievements. If wished a relative or family friend could speak. The British Humanist Association can also provide secular funeral officiants.

I have heard that the cremation ashes I receive from the crematorium will not necessarily be those of my loved one. Is this true?

Absolutely not. The cremation process is governed by very strict rules and regulations. The crematorium authorities take the greatest care to ensure that every individual cremation is kept a completely separate process.

Instead of people sending flowers to my funeral I think it would be nice if people made donations in my memory to a charity. Can the funeral director look after this?

Yes. We will co-ordinate the collection of donations entirely. People can send donations to us which we keep safe until all the donations have been received. We then pass on the donations to the charity in one go, and send a list of the donors to the family.

Is there any State help towards the cost of the funeral?

Yes, but only for those on low incomes. If the person who is responsible for paying for the funeral is receiving Income Support, Family Credit or Housing Benefit they may be eligible to make a claim from the D.S.S. Social Fund . Please note that eligibility for a Social Fund payment is decided upon the finances of the person instructing the funeral director, not upon the finances of the deceased.

The payment will contribute £600 towards our fees and a further sum to cover any reasonably-incurred disbursements. Your funeral director will be able to advise fully on the cost of the funeral and what constitute 'reasonably-incurred disbursements'. Additional services we provide beyond what is covered by the £600 Social Fund payment have to be met privately. Further details can be found in the D.S.S. leaflet 'What to do after a death' which is available from us.

I have heard that if you die suddenly the Procurator Fiscal has to carry out an investigation. What does this involve?

If a person dies and their doctor is not sure about the cause of death, he or she is obliged to report the death to the Procurator Fiscal. If the death was sudden or unexpected or unnatural, or if no doctor had been in attendance during the last illness, it must also be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

If the death is reported to the Procurator Fiscal he may look at the circumstances and decide that he does not need to be involved and that the doctor can issue a death certificate.

Sometimes the circumstances will demand that the Coroner must instruct an autopsy to be carried out to determine the cause of death. In this case, and for deaths in this part of Dumfries and Galloway, the deceased must be conveyed to the Dumfries Infirmary mortuary.

Once the pathologist has determined the cause of death he or she will send a report to the Procurator Fiscal who will decide the next step. Usually once a cause of death is established the Procurator Fiscal will release the body as soon as possible.