When a loved one passes away, the initial steps can be overwhelming. There are a number of tasks that need to be completed and it is often difficult to work out what should be done first. This can make an already tough time even more stressful. This blog aims to summarise the first steps to be taken following a bereavement.

When a loved one passes away, the emotional strain can be overwhelming. Amidst the grief, one of the most difficult tasks is often arranging a funeral service. Whilst it's never easy to think about or plan, understanding the funeral arrangement process and how to manage the associated costs, can help relieve some of the stress experienced during a challenging time. We understand that bearing the responsibility of organising the perfect memorial to honour a loved one's life may feel like a monumental task. That's why we've created this blog post, to help you understand the steps involved and inform you of the options that are available to make the process smoother.

By now, we should all be aware of the importance of creating a Will. However, you may also want to leave other wishes that would not be legally binding in a Will, such as funeral wishes or guidance on where you would like your ashes to be scattered. You can include requests like these within your Will but there is no legal obligation for your loved ones to follow your wishes. There is also a chance that the Will may be retrieved after funeral plans have already begun. Therefore, if you have any funeral wishes or special places for your ashes to be scattered, it is recommended that you directly inform your loved ones during your lifetime.

Past research has shown that the cost of death is soaring, with funerals becoming more expensive than ever before.

Bath is one of the ten most expensive places in the UK to be cremated in, according to a report into soaring funeral costs.

A cemetery in south-east London has turned to modern technology to allow anyone unable to attend a funeral ceremony to pay their respects by watching and listening to the service via their smartphone, computer or tablet.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Dying Matters Coalition, set up by the National Council for Palliative Care to break society’s taboo about talking about dying and to encourage more people to make their end of life wishes known.

Cremation is becoming an increasingly common alternative to burial and statistics reveal that 70% of Britons will be cremated rather than buried once they are no longer with us. This has fuelled a rise in the popularity of ash-scattering ceremonies across the country, although few people clearly specify what they want to happen with their remains… and sometimes the ashes are never collected.

Britain is running out of burial space, but the re-use of old graves in the country is still uncommon. In fact, this practice has been strongly restricted in the past 150 years, but recent developments suggest this might be about to change.