When tragedy strikes and we lose a loved one, either suddenly or following a long illness, this is an experience that we hopefully will not encounter too many times in our lives.
Before we can even think about grieving and coming to terms with our loss, there are many mundane practicalities that need to be overcome.
In times like these it is best to turn to professionals for advice and guidance.
Funeral Directors are the professionals best placed to help us in these troubled times.
If we are lucky, then dealing with the loss of a loved one, or even someone we are particularly close to, will happen very few times in the course of our lives.
Consequently, the practicalities and procedures that have to be followed are not something that we would readily have to hand or have practiced.
It is in times like these that we need dedicated professionals who deal with death on a regular basis.
Funeral directors by nature of their profession deal with the practicalities and emotions of bereavement on an almost daily basis.
They are well equipped with the knowledge of what must be done and in what order they have to be done in.
They are trained not only in the practical skills of preparing a deceased, internment and cremation, but also with the legalities and procedures that have to be followed to satisfy legal requirements.
They can advise you on registering the death with the Registrar's Office and who should do this and within what timescale.
They can advise on the procurement of a death certificate and other medical records, should a cremation be desired.
They have full knowledge on repatriation, should a death occur overseas or the deceased wished to be interred abroad.
They can advise fully on the necessary procedures for obtaining a burial plot or the limitations on scattering ashes.
They will also know of any constraints there may be on memorials or monuments, and will advise how best to maintain a plot.
They will guide you through the maze of forms and paperwork related to disbursements or obtaining grants.
All of these issues may well not have crossed the minds of 99% of the general public, for whom the thoughts and ideas of death and dealing with such things are pushed to the back of their minds.
These are everyday issues for the professional funeral director.
Many funeral directors belong to family firms that have carried out the same business for generations.
They have a gravitas and solemnity that fits with the sober occasions that surround caring for the deceased and their families and loved ones.
Whilst they are not, on the whole, trained counsellors they do posses skills and attributes that will help to calm the bereaved and provide solace to the anguished.
They will be professional, calm and above all, knowledgeable about the necessary procedures and etiquette.
You can also feel safe in the knowledge that they will treat the deceased with the utmost care and respect to ensure that they will be cared for as much in death as they were in life.
The services they provide are invaluable given the forced nature of the timing of the interaction you will have with them.
In the very few occasions in life that you will have to deal with funeral directors, you can be assured that on the whole, they are well-trained, knowledgeable, respectful professionals who will respect your wishes and those of the deceased.
Choosing the right funeral director for you will depend on may factors including locality, experience and possibly speciality if the deceased had any special requests.
There are resources available online to help you make such choices.