Funerals and their arrangements are a common concern. Laura Richardson’s latest article answers a common question:

For funerals, why can actually conduct a service?

Under UK law, there is no legal requirement for a funeral to be conducted by a qualified officiate.  In fact, anyone can conduct a funeral! However, the full answer to this question lies in the type of funeral that you would like to have.

Religious Funeral Ceremony

If you would like to have a religious ceremony, then you will need to follow the requirements of your particular religion. Most religious funerals ceremonies are held in a place of worship and are officiated by an ordained or qualified member of the religion. Religious ceremonies usually follow a traditional order of service that includes religious elements such as prayer, hymns or blessings. Whilst some religious orders are stricter than others on the elements of a funeral service, this is not to say that you would not be able to personalise your funeral service to some extent. Generally speaking, you will usually be able to choose certain appropriate hymns, poems or prayers to be included within your funeral in order to reflect your beliefs or sentiments, or simply because they hold special meaning for you or your loved ones.

Civil Funeral Service

If you do not wish to have a fully religious funeral service, you can opt to have a civil funeral service. Civil funeral services are usually officiated by a civil celebrant who does not follow any particular religion or spirituality. Civil services can be tailored to reflect your own beliefs and as such can either be completely non-religious, or alternatively can include some religious elements such as prayers or hymns. There are some limitations when it comes to including religious elements into a civil funeral service as the person conducting the service does not usually have the authority to incorporate specific religious rituals such as blessings.

An alternative option for a civil funeral service is for a friend or family member to conduct the service. This duty could even be shared between a few of your loved ones. This option works well if you have a loved one who would be comfortable performing the role of officiate, and feels that they would be able to do so under the circumstances of your death. Again, the service can still include some religious elements and can be personalised to reflect your beliefs and wishes.

If you have specific wishes for your funeral and would like to ensure that your wishes are formally recorded for your loved ones to access after your death, it could be beneficial to include your funeral wishes within your Will.

Whether you have an existing Will that requires updating, or whether you would like to write your first Will, Andrew Douglas Wills & Legal Services would love to hear from you. Andrew Douglas Wills & Legal Services are continuing to provide our fully remote Will writing service throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, so whether in Colchester, Essex or across the UK call today for your free initial consultation.

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