I am next of kin - I do not want to be Administrator - HELP

Mojisola

Not_my_lucky_day wrote: »

Thank you all very much for your advice - I feel much less overwhelmed by it all now!

I will make enquiries regarding funeral matters - and likely keep a sensible distance regarding the Estate.

Whoever arranges the funeral takes on the responsibility for paying for it.

If the deceased left anything at all, the funeral bill has first call on the money and banks will usually pay out from the deceased's accounts if the funeral director sends them the bill.

If there isn't any money or not enough to pay the whole bill, the FD will look to whoever signed paperwork with them to pay the difference.

TBagpuss

As others have said, you don't have to do anything - but if you don't want to be involved, do not do anything - this can be seen as 'intermeddling with the estate'.You can tell people your father has died, but don't try to close bank accounts, pay closing balances on bills or anyhting of that kind

If you arrange the funeral then, as Mojisola says, the funeral directors will look to you to pay. If you are happy to do so, then go ahead, if not speak to your local council about a 'public health funeral' - they can make the arrangements for burial or cremation (usually no formal funeral service) if they are satisfied that there is no money in the state to pay, and that there is no relative who is willing or able to pay (you may need to sign a statement to say you are not able // willing to do so)

If you do arrange the funeral do remember that lots of the things which may be offered are optional - you don't *have* to have the funeral home provide pall bearers, extra cars, silk lining for the coffin etc. it is possible to get a cardboard coffin which is much cheaper (and more eco friendly) than a wooden one, and so on. You need to decide what you want to do for your dad, and which parts of the tradition are important to you.

(when my grandmother died, we had a cardboard coffin, and no cars other than hearse, from the funeral home. She would have thought it a terrible waste to pay for a wooden coffin which was only going to be cremated!)

Savvy_Sue

When we arranged dad's funeral, cardboard coffins were dearer than wood!

getmore4less

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

When we arranged dad's funeral, cardboard coffins were dearer than wood!

There are not just cost issues

some crem will not take all alternatives(emissions issues).

We had an alternative accepted in Feb one year but not later in the same year.
(or the FD lost the contract to supply what we ordered)



AIUI you can go with just a shroud for a grave.

whitewing

£99 here but I have never used this company, nor have I done any checking out if its website.

http://coffincompany.co.uk/index.php?route=common/home