George Lightfoot

• Arrange a date and time for the funeral, according to your instructions. Lightfoot's will contact the church, cemetery or crematorium and/or the person who will be conducting the service, to arrange a mutually convenient date and time.
• Transfer the deceased from the place of death, or from the location to which the deceased has been taken, to our premises, provide practical assistance to allow the deceased to remain at home prior to the funeral, if this is what you request.
• Provide facilities for viewing of the deceased prior to the funeral, according to the family’s wishes.
• Provide the necessary vehicles and staff to conduct the funeral with dignity and professionalism, in accordance with your instructions.
• Deal with all necessary paperwork to enable burial or cremation to take place.
• Place death notices in local and/or national newspapers.
• Arrange for catering at a venue of your choice following the funeral.
• Make arrangements for the subsequent disposal of the remains following a cremation.
• Arrange special musical requests for the funeral service, such as a soloist, piper or choir.
• Liaise with the officiant to provide Order of Service sheets at the funeral service.
• Record the names of those attending the funeral in order to provide you with a list afterwards.
• Order floral tributes on behalf of the deceased’s family and/or friends and colleagues.
• Accept and care for floral tributes delivered to their premises prior to the funeral.
• Accept donations for a nominated charity in lieu of flowers on your behalf, providing the family with a list of those who have donated after the funeral.
• Arrange for transfer of either the deceased or the cremated remains to another area of the country, or repatriation overseas, for a subsequent funeral or disposal, in accordance with your wishes.
• Provide advice and transport to assist with the registration of the death. Please be aware that Funeral Directors cannot register a death - this is something which must be done by a family member or person closely connected with the deceased.
• Place "Thank You" and acknowledgement notice, or obituary notices in local newspapers following the funeral.
• Provide information on how to arrange a pre-paid funeral plan.
• Offer a choice of coffins and caskets to suit a range of budgets and individual choice.

When a death which has been expected occurs at home or at a nursing home, the Doctor who has been treating the deceased should be contacted. The Doctor or a colleague will either attend to confirm that death has occurred, or will give permission for the deceased to be transferred to a Funeral Director's premises, if this is your wish.

If a relative who has been a hospital inpatient dies, the doctors who have been treating the deceased will usually be able to issue the Medical Certificate. Ask the ward staff or Doctor what you need to do to collect this Certificate, or ring Lightfoot's Funeral service for advice and contact numbers.
Most hospitals will give family members the opportunity to sit with the deceased before transfer from the ward or private room. The deceased will then be taken to the mortuary, prior to collection by Lightfoot's.

The Doctor can only issue the Certificate if he knows the cause of death, and has been treating the deceased for this illness in the last 14 days. If this is not the case, or if there are other circumstances involved (such as a recent operation, or a possible industrial disease), the Doctor will have to refer the death to the Coroner.
If the death has occurred at home, the Coroner will arrange for the deceased to be taken into his custody, in order that the death can be investigated.

It is the coroner's responsibility to ascertain the cause of death. The vast majority of deaths that are reported to the coroner are discovered to be from natural causes - only a small proportion require further investigation. The coroner will conduct a post mortem examination of the deceased, which involves examination of the organs to ascertain the cause of the death. The coroner does not require permission to investigate a death within his/her jurisdiction, and cannot be prevented from doing so.
In certain circumstances, the coroner may investigate a death even when the person has been ill for some time. The coroner has to investigate deaths from diseases which may have been caused by the deceased's occupation, or deaths after recent operations, to ensure that public interest has been served.
Your local Funeral Director will be familiar with the coroner's procedure in your area, and will be able to advise you how to proceed.

A deceased person cannot be cremated until the cause of death has been ascertained and properly recorded.
The BMA website sets out the procedure:
"Before cremation can take place two certificates need to be signed, one by the GP and one by another doctor. Cremation Form 4 must be completed by the registered medical practitioner who attended the deceased during their last illness. Form 5 must be completed by a registered medical practitioner who is neither a partner nor a relative of the doctor who completed Form 4.

A fee can be charged for the completion of both Forms 4 and 5 as this does not form part of a doctor's NHS duties (1). Doctors normally charge these fees to the funeral director, who, generally passes on the cost to the family. Doctors are also entitled to charge a mileage allowance, where appropriate".

All deaths have to be registered, and the people closest to the deceased have a legal obligation to do this. Deaths in England and Wales or Northern Ireland should be registered within 5 days - if this is not going to be possible, you should inform the Registrar. In Scotland, deaths must be registered within 8 days.

In England and Wales, the death has to be registered at the registrar's office in the area where the death occurred. This is the case even if the death occurred a distance from home.
However there is a facility available to attend your local registrar's office to register a death that occurred in another area. This is called 'Registration by Declaration', and involves the two Registrars transferring documents by fax and post in order to register the death. Depending on the circumstances, this can delay the date of the funeral - ask your Funeral Director for advice.
In Scotland, you can register the death either at the place of death, or where the deceased had their normal residence, as long as both are in Scotland.

In order to register the death, you will need to obtain a Medical Certificate from the Doctor who was treating the deceased during the last illness. When the Coroner is involved, this Certificate is replaced by one from the Coroner. The Coroner's Office will be able to advise you or your Funeral Director when you will be able to attend the Registrar's Office.
To register a death in England and Wales, the deceased's NHS Medical Card is the only other document required. However, this is not compulsory, so do not delay registering the death if you cannot find it - the Registrar will explain to you what to do if the Medical Card is subsequently found.
If you have the deceased's Birth or Marriage Certificates to hand you can take them along to the Registrar, but the documents will not be retained. All that is required is the information contained on them e.g. the deceased's place and date of birth, and maiden name if applicable.
In Scotland, more documents are required to register a death - contact your Funeral Director for information and advice.

The DSS Form - now called the SF200 Funeral Payments from the Social Fund should be taken or sent to your DSS Office with any pension or benefit books in the deceased's name, or in joint names. This is also used to assess whether a surviving partner is eligible for benefits such as Widows Benefit. You can download the form on the Department of Works and Pensions website. To find out more information please vist the Funeral Payment.
Funeral Director's Form. This is green, and should be given to your Funeral Director to allow the funeral to take place. NB: If the Coroner has investigated the death, and cremation is required, this will be replaced with a form which the Coroner will send direct to the Funeral Director.
Death Certificates. These are copies of the Register Entry, and are the Certificates required by Banks, Insurance Companies etc. to attend to the deceased's affairs. These are currently £3.50 per copy.

No. Arranging the funeral involves your Funeral Director discussing with you the type of funeral required, and offering you advice and information as appropriate. This can be done as soon as you have made certain decisions about the funeral - e.g. whether it is to be a burial or cremation.
Then, once you have registered the death, you can arrange with Lightfoots for the green form to be handed over or collected.

No - there is no requirement to hold a religious funeral service, and there are a number of alternatives. Perhaps a relative or friend could take the service if they feel able to do so. Other Members of the congregation could speak or read verses or poems. Lightfoot's will advise you on and organise a Humanist ceremony.

'Green funerals' is a term often used to describe funerals which are designed to be simple and environmentally friendly. Some people consider the use of a cardboard coffin to be more environmentally friendly than one composed of wood bi-products.
Woodland burial sites are where trees or wild flowers are planted on graves instead of a headstone, eventually turning the site into woodland. There are many such sites available throughout the United Kingdom

Funeral Directors who are Members of the National Association of Funeral Directors abide by a Code of Practice which ensures that they treat their clients and the public fairly. Members are required to have price lists available showing the cost of the services they provide.
Lightfoot's are a Member of the National Association of Funeral Directors, you will receive a written estimate and confirmation of arrangements before the funeral takes place. This ensures that you are aware of the costs of the funeral you have arranged, and forms the basis of the contract between yourself and Lightfoot's.

The DSS Social Fund awards financial assistance to individuals who meet a number of criteria. To qualify, you, and all other family Members who share your responsibility for the funeral, must be receiving at least one of several benefits, and have insufficient savings to pay for the funeral.
The DSS Funeral Payment will provide a limited amount, which may cover a very basic funeral, or provide a contribution towards a more traditional funeral.

Today we live in an ethnically diverse society, and this diversity needs to be celebrated in our funeral ceremonies as well as our everyday lives. However, facilities for particular religious communities do vary from region to region- for example, in some areas cemeteries have dedicated sections for Muslim burials, and the local Muslim community is often closely involved with the operation of the Cemetery.
It is the role of our Members to discuss funeral requirements with their clients, and to have knowledge of the different alternatives available to a family, in order to offer sound advice. A professional Funeral Director will have the ability to do this regardless of the religion of the deceased or the immediate family.
However, Lightfoot's will not make assumptions about the family's wishes based solely upon its religious beliefs. Funerals are individual events, and there are many other variables to be taken into account. Even if you tell your Lightfoot's  you require a 'Traditional Hindu funeral', he or she will still wish to discuss your exact requirements with you, to ensure that no personal wishes have been overlooked.