Arrange a funeral

Find out how to arrange a funeral yourself or using a funeral director, and check what options are available to you.

Before you arrange a funeral you need to register the death.

You can find out what to do when someone dies at GOV.UK.

Funeral directors

You could choose a funeral director who is a member of either:

These organisations have codes of practice and they must give you a price list if you ask for it.

What funeral directors help with

Funeral directors can help you with all aspects of arranging a funeral including:

  • meetings and paperwork
  • collecting the person and caring for them before the funeral
  • running the funeral
  • a hearse or another vehicle for transport to the funeral
  • a basic coffin
  • where the body should rest before the funeral
  • the time and place of the funeral
  • what type of service to have and who will conduct it
  • how much to spend on the funeral
  • if you want flowers or not
  • invitations
  • a notice in the newspapers or on social media

Arranging a funeral by yourself

You can arrange a funeral by yourself but it will take time and effort. You can get help and advice from the National Death Centre.

If you want to arrange a funeral without the help of a funeral director, you need to contact us.

Cremations

You can learn how to arrange a simple cremation at moneyadviceservice.org.uk.

You can also read how to organise a cremation on GOV.UK.

Coffins

You need to use a suitable coffin or casket, we don't accept shrouds. The coffin must:                                                  

  • be made of wood or a wood by-product
  • not be painted or varnished
  • have a plate with the persons name fixed to it
  • have no metal, pitch, rubber, polyvinyl or PVC fittings or linings
  • not have any cross pieces attached to the bottom
  • not be lined with sawdust or cotton-wool

If the coffin is going to be bigger than 206cm long, 71cm wide or 56cm deep, you need to tell the crematorium in advance.

You need to arrange enough people to carry the coffin from the vehicle to the chapel catafalque. We can provide a trolley but you need to ask for it in advance.

Burials

You need to arrange enough people to carry the coffin from the vehicle to grave side and to lower the coffin into the ground. If you are using one of our chapels for a service, they will also need to carry the coffin into the chapel and then from the chapel to grave side. 

Paperwork

If you are arranging a funeral by yourself you can get the forms and paperwork you need from Farnley Hall (Monday to Friday, 8am to 3:45pm).

You will need to hand the completed paperwork back in at Farnley Hall by 10am, two working days before the funeral.

If you return the forms late there is an additional fee of £63.  

When a funeral can take place

Most people arrange funerals during our normal working hours, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4pm.

Burials and cremations can also take place later in the day and on weekends but they cost extra. Visit our fees and charges page for a full list of prices.

Short notice burials

We usually need at least 2 working days to arrange a burial. If all of the paper work is in place a burial can be arranged on the same day.

Short notice cremations

Cremations cannot happen at short notice because two independent doctors need to sign off the forms for cremation. The forms are then checked and authorised by a medical referee.

The medical referee may also need to discuss the cause of death with: 

  • the other doctors
  • the person's relatives
  • nursing home staff or someone who cared for the person

Scattering ashes after a cremation

After a cremation you will need to collect the ashes from the crematorium within one month. To collect them you will need permission from us and a suitable sealable container. You can buy a biodegradable container from us.

Price of a biodegradable container
Container Cost
Biodegradable container £25
 
Small biodegradable container £9
Biodegradable container, packaging, sealing and customs letter £53
 
FDs own poly container and box, packaging, sealing and customs letter £31
 

We can also arrange for ashes to be sent by courier to any UK address.

You can keep ashes at home, bury them in a grave or scatter them somewhere, as long as you have permission from the landowner.

To scatter ashes in our cemeteries or crematorium grounds you need to contact us and book an appointment. A council officer will attend.

Contact us

Email

bereavementservices@leeds.gov.uk

Phone

0113 376 0001
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 3:30pm

Post

Bereavement services
Farnley Hall
Hall Lane
Leeds
LS12 5HA​​​