How to arrange a funeral step by step, what a funeral director does, your consumer rights, and ways a funeral can be paid for.
Last reviewed · For readers in Australia
In short
A funeral isn’t a legal requirement, and there’s no single right way.
Check first for a prepaid plan or written wishes.
Ask for a clear, written quote.
Arranging a funeral for someone you love is one of the hardest things to do well while grieving. There are decisions to make quickly, and money to think about at a time when you’d rather not. This guide goes through it in order, so you can take one step at a time and know your rights along the way.
It’s worth saying first, as Services Australia does, that a funeral isn’t a legal requirement in Australia. A small gathering, a memorial later, or no service at all are all choices you can make.
First, check for plans
The NSW Government’s guide suggests first finding out whether the person had already arranged their funeral or bought a grave site. Details might be in their home, among their papers, or in their will. It also suggests checking whether anything was set aside to pay for it, such as:
a prepaid funeral, funeral bond or funeral insurance
a life, accident or super policy that might contribute
a club, union, pensioner association or veterans’ entitlement that offers a funeral benefit
If the person wrote down their wishes, that’s a great help. If not, you’ll be deciding on their behalf, ideally with the people who were closest to them. Our guide to writing down your funeral wishes shows what people often record.
Choosing a funeral director
The NSW Government notes there’s no legal requirement to use a funeral director, though most families do, because they can offer comfort, support and advice. healthdirect explains that if you don’t use one, the person taking charge of the funeral must register the death.
A funeral director usually:
collects and cares for the person’s body
arranges the date and time with the cemetery or crematorium
provides a hearse, and other cars if you’d like them
arranges notices and flowers, if you’d like them
pays fees to other parties on your behalf, called disbursements
registers the death with your state’s registry
The NSW guide points out that funeral directors don’t need a licence or particular qualifications, and some may take commissions on products or suppliers. It suggests asking family and friends for recommendations and talking to two or more funeral directors before you choose.
Getting a clear quote
Funeral costs vary widely, so a clear, written quote matters. In NSW, funeral directors must tell you the details of the goods and services they’ll supply, give a reasonable estimate of the cost, and include the cost of disbursements for the burial or cremation.
In Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria requires funeral providers to display an itemised price list, including on their website if they have one, and packages must show what’s included and the total.
Before you agree to anything, it’s reasonable to ask:
for an itemised written quote, including all fees and disbursements
what’s included in any package, and what isn’t
when payment is due (the NSW guide notes most funeral directors want payment in full before the funeral)
whether they have commission arrangements with any supplier
Read the terms, and look for interest or late fees. It’s fine to bring a friend to help you review it.
Costs and how to pay
Moneysmart sets out typical funeral costs and what they include, from the funeral director’s fees and the coffin to the cemetery or crematorium, the celebrant and the wake. It’s worth reading before you meet a funeral director.
The NSW guide lists places money for a funeral might come from:
the person’s estate (check with their bank whether it will release money for funeral costs before probate)
a prepaid funeral, funeral bond or contribution fund they paid into
super or life insurance
veterans’ entitlements, if they were a returned service person
a union, club or association they belonged to
Services Australia can tell you whether you’re eligible for any financial help after a death, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs may help if the person was a veteran.
Burial, cremation and the service
You’ll choose between burial and cremation, unless the person’s wishes already say. Then there’s the service itself: where it’s held, who leads it (a minister, a celebrant or a family member), the music, readings and photographs, and whether there’s a gathering afterwards. You don’t need to decide everything at the first meeting.
Your rights
Australian Consumer Law applies to funerals as it does to other services. The ACCC explains your rights, including protection from misleading claims about prices. If something goes wrong, the NSW guide suggests raising it with the funeral director first, then checking whether they belong to a professional association with a code of conduct, and then contacting your state’s consumer affairs or fair trading office.
Looking after yourself through it
Arranging a funeral can be oddly comforting for some people and exhausting for others. Let others carry what they can: making calls, printing the order of service, organising food. Our guide to supporting someone who’s grieving might be worth sending to the friends asking how to help.
If you’re also the executor, our guide to being an executor covers what comes next. And for all the other early steps, our gentle checklist is here.
Each fact in this guide was checked against these official pages on 23 October 2026. Rules and forms change, so please check the source for your own situation.
This is general information, not legal, financial, insurance or medical advice. For your own situation, please speak with a qualified professional or the official body named above.
