J G Fielder & Son, Independent Family Funeral Directors

COSTS AND CHARGES

In all aspects of the funeral arrangements your funeral director will point out the procedures and legal requirements as applied to every stage of the funeral.

It is right and proper that our representative gives you full written details of the funeral expenditure. You must feel happy with the funeral commitment you have undertaken. Should this not be the case, please contact us and we will be pleased to discuss it with you further.

The funeral account itself is, like the estimate, divided into two separate parts. The Funeral Director's charges and the Disbursements.

FUNERAL DIRECTOR'S CHARGES

The Funeral Director's charges contain our professional fees and overhead costs, these include the provision of a 24 hour a day on-call rota, with the provision of a suitable dignified "home call" vehicle, our professional services in making the funeral arrangements and arranging documentation and necessary personal attendances. The conveyance of the deceased to our private chapel, rest rooms and use of the same until the day of the funeral. Relatives and friends often wish to visit the deceased and pay their last respects before the day of the funeral. We will only allow this on the specific request of the family.

Chapel of Rest lounge

Hygienic treatment and attendances to the deceased are also considered very important by our company. The last time you saw a loved one may be a distressing memory, perhaps in hospital or for the purposes of identification. In any event, we believe that in asking us to look after a member of your family, you would like to know that the best that could be done for your relative has been done, whether or not you want the coffin open or closed.

DISBURSEMENTS

Disbursements are essentially fees that we pay out on behalf of the family. This means that any requirement you have such as flowers, press announcements etc, can be ordered and paid for by ourselves, to be passed on to you by way of the funeral account.

This can then be settled by one single payment rather than many different bills to be settled by the estate. For the purposes of the written estimate the funeral director will estimate the appropriate cost of any disbursement. However you will appreciate that we have no direct control over these charges and could therefore be subject to slight variations. Should there be any major alteration your funeral director will advise you accordingly.

DOCTORS FEES FOR CREMATION FORMS

No one can be cremated until the cause of death is definitely known. There are two cremation certificates (forms B and C). Each must be signed by a different doctor. These certificates must be paid for and listed under disbursements on our estimate and account. The cremation certificates are not required when the death is referred to the coroner.