Unattended Funeral

Unattended Funeral banner background photograph

Unattended Funeral

An unattended funeral is where there is a cremation or burial without any family or friends present. 

There is much confusion on what is included in this type of service and is often referred to as a ‘direct cremation,’ a ‘pure cremation,’ or a ‘direct burial.’ In reality all these terms mean the same thing and describe a funeral with nobody in attendance. 

The consideration of choosing an unattended funeral is often created through feeling that there would be less fuss, reducing financial burden or your loved one thinking they are saving you a lot of upset. 

There has been some research into the reasons why someone chooses the unattended option and the potential impact this can have on those individuals impacted by their loved ones death.

The renowned bereavement counsellor, Dr. Bill Webster

A funeral service where people can attend doesn’t have to be traditional, it could be a celebration of life, taking place at somewhere of your choosing such as a marquee in a location overlooking a beautiful vista that the person loved or a race track, just to name a few. The important thing to stress is that a funeral doesn’t have to be a formal, rigid event, it can be whatever is befitting to you and your loved one. 

An unattended service is the right option for some people. We always advise that there is an open conversation with loved one's to make sure they are aware what this service is, if this is the right type of service for you all and whether it will affect their ability to grieve with the absence of any ceremony. 

Regardless of your choice, G. Seller are here to give you and your loved one professional and compassionate care, always treating your loved one with dignity and respect. 

There are a large number of van operators, with the reality that they will leave your loved one in a mortuary for several weeks, then driving hundreds of miles away with a van full of other families deceased loved ones. This couldn’t be further from the truth with G. Seller, we look after your loved one at our funeral home in Hinckley, personally deal with you to put the required paperwork together, arrange the cremation locally and personally collect their cremated remains into our care. We use a hearse and an appropriately uniformed team. We are passionate about doing everything with care and compassion.

It is your choice of whether to choose this service, it is just so important to consider the potential impacts as there is only 1 chance to lay your loved one to rest. 

If you felt that the unattended service is the right service for you and your loved one, but still wanted to have another form of goodbye you could consider arranging a memorial service, which could take place at The Barsby Service Chapel, a local venue or Church at a later date to allow family and friends to come together. G. Seller can arrange this all for you and we’d be happy to provide an itemised quotation for you. 

Calligraphic 'swirl' motif
A thumbnail photo to accompany this customer feedback quote

Unattended Funeral Pricing

This is an indicative pricing example. Items can be removed, amended, or other personalisation choices included.

Our Charges - £1,113

Third-Party Charges - £582

Details on services offered can be viewed by selecting the circle "i" icons.

Third party costs are up to date as of January 2024, these prices are outside of our control and are subject to change without prior notification.

Frequently Asked Questions

If no one else wants to make the funeral arrangements, there is usually no need to consider the information set out below. However, if there is a chance that someone might object to you arranging the funeral, you should consider the following questions to satisfy yourself that you are entitled to do so, before proceeding to make the arrangement. If you are in doubt that you are the right person to make the funeral arrangements  and are unable to reach agreement, you may wish to take independent legal  advice before proceeding.

If the person who has died is an adult (aged 16 or over):

Did the person who has died make an Arrangements on Death Declaration? 

If it can be demonstrated that the person who has died expressed a wish that a particular person should be responsible for arranging their funeral, this person is entitled to make the arrangements. The most common place to find such an expression is as part of the person’s Will. If someone other than you was named by the person who has died, you should only arrange the funeral with this person’s agreement.

The person who has died did not make an Arrangements on Death Declaration

In these circumstances, we can offer the following advice, depending on your relationship to the person who has died:

If you are the husband, wife or civil partner of the person who has died, you are most likely the right person to make the funeral arrangements.

If the person who has died was not married but you lived together in the same way as a married couple when they died, you are most likely the right person to make the funeral arrangements (if you lived together for at least 6 months before the date of death).

If you are the child of the person who has died and the person who has died was married, in a civil partnership or living with a long-term partner when they died, this person is likely to have priority over you. We advise that you check with them before arranging the funeral. If you have any brothers or sisters it is advisable to get agreement from them before making the funeral arrangements. If you can’t agree on the arrangements, you can still arrange the funeral but there is a chance that one of them could ask the court to allow them to make the arrangements instead.

If you are the parent of the person who has died, you should check with any spouse/civil  partner, long term partner and children of the person who has died before making the funeral arrangements. If the other parent of the person who has died is contactable, it is advisable to get agreement from them before making the funeral arrangements. If you can’t agree on the arrangements, you can still arrange the funeral but there is a chance that they could apply to the court to allow them to make the arrangements instead.

If you are the brother or sister of the person who has died, you should check with any spouse/civil partner, long term partner, children and parents of the person who has dies before making the funeral arrangements. If you have any other brothers or sisters it is advisable to get agreement from them before making the funeral arrangements. If you can’t agree on the arrangements, you can still arrange the funeral but there is a chance that one of them could apply to the court to allow them to make the arrangements instead.

The legal hierarchy of who should arrange a funeral is:

  1. A person identified in arrangements on death declaration of the person who has died 
  2. The husband, wife or civil partner of the person who has died 
  3. The long term partner of the person who has died  (they must have been living together for at least 6 months) 
  4. The children of the person who has died 
  5. The parents of the person who has died 
  6. The brothers and sisters of the person who has died (siblings by one parent are treated the same as siblings by both parents) 
  7. The grandparents of the person who has died Uncles and aunts of the person who has died 
  8. The cousins of the person who has died 
  9. The nieces and nephews of the person who has died 
  10. A long-standing friend of the person who has died

The Unattended Funeral is a service where nobody can be present. 

We will help and guide you on registering your loved one's death. When all the required paperwork is in place, we will arrange the cremation or burial within 14 days.

We will bring your loved one's cremated remains into our care the next working day after the funeral. We look after your loved one's cremated remains with respect in our columbarium until you decide on how you'd like to lay your loved one to rest. There is a lot of cremated remains options, please click on the link https://www.gseller.co.uk/arranging-a-funeral/cremated-remains-options

Funeral Enquiry Form

To make an enquiry regarding our funerals please complete the fields as required along with details of your enquiry, and we will contact you shortly. Fields marked with * are mandatory and must be completed.