What is included in a direct cremation, and what is not

A direct cremation with Ashes to Ashes covers everything from the moment your loved one comes into our care to the moment the ashes are back with your family: the transfer, the care, every form, the certificates, the coffin, the cremation and the delivery. What it leaves out, on purpose, is the funeral service.

When someone dies, the family is usually asked to make decisions about money at the worst possible moment. Most people we speak to have never arranged a cremation before, and the first thing they want to know is simple: what am I actually paying for, and what might turn up later? This guide answers that, line by line, for families across Cairns and Far North Queensland.

What is included

Every direct cremation we arrange includes the same things, whoever you are and wherever you are in the region.

• Bringing your loved one into our care, at any hour. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we can arrange the transfer from a home, a hospital, a hospice or an aged care facility. If your loved one is in a facility, we speak to the staff directly so you do not have to.
• Mortuary care and preservation. Your loved one is cared for with the same dignity as with any funeral.
• All the application and registration paperwork. We prepare every form, show the next of kin or executor exactly where to sign, and lodge it all ourselves.
• The doctor's cremation certificates. We arrange them; you do not chase them.
• An environmentally friendly cardboard coffin.
• Private transport to the crematorium.
• The cremation itself, including the cremation fee.
• Registering the death and the official certificate. Both are part of what we do, not a separate job for the family.
• Delivering the ashes to your family, or to a friend you nominate, at no extra charge.

In most cases families have the ashes back within one to two weeks. The timing depends on how quickly the medical certificates and permits come through, which is outside anyone's control, so Shane keeps you updated at every step.

What is not included, and why

A direct cremation is simple by design. These things sit outside it:

• A funeral service, chapel hire or a celebrant. A direct cremation does not include a service, and that is what keeps it simple and the cost down. You are free to hold your own memorial whenever and wherever you like, and plenty of families find that gathering feels more personal than a formal funeral would have. Our guide to holding a memorial after a direct cremation has ideas.
• Death notices, flowers, catering or printed booklets. A death notice is arranged separately. You can place one yourself with the local paper, and Shane can point you in the right direction if you have not done it before.
• A premium coffin or a decorative urn beyond the standard return of the ashes. If you would like one, ask, and we will quote it plainly.
• A formal viewing. If seeing your loved one matters to your family, say so when you call. Shane will tell you honestly what is and is not possible rather than promise something that cannot be arranged.

The one thing that can change the cost

The price covers transfers during office hours, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. A death does not keep office hours, so if the transfer needs to happen at night or on a weekend, it may cost more.

What matters is how you find out. We always tell you the exact amount before anything happens, and everything is put in writing before anything proceeds. You will never receive an invoice with a surprise on it. The full price, and what sits inside it, is set out on our pricing page.

Why there is no upselling

Many families arrive expecting the conversation to turn into a sales pitch for extras. It will not. The price is the price. If you want something outside the standard direct cremation, ask and we will quote it plainly. If you do not ask, nothing is added.

That is also why the list above is short and specific. A family should be able to read it in a minute, at two in the morning, and know exactly where they stand.

What is left for the family to do

Very little of the formal side. We take care of the transfer, the forms, the certificates, the cremation and the return of the ashes. What remains is the personal side: telling people, deciding whether to hold a memorial, and later the notifications to places like the bank, Centrelink and super funds, which are separate from the cremation. Our guide to the paperwork after a death walks through what we handle and what is left for you.

If you are still weighing up your options, direct cremation vs a traditional funeral sets out what is actually different.

Where we can help

We look after families across Cairns, Port Douglas, the Atherton Tablelands, Atherton, Mareeba, Innisfail, Mossman and the surrounding Far North Queensland region. If you are not sure whether we reach you, give Shane a call and he will tell you straight away.

There is also a printable one-page guide in the footer of every page on this site, if it helps to have it on paper for the rest of the family.

Common questions

Are there any hidden fees in a direct cremation?

No. The price is the price, and there is no upselling. The only variable is a transfer after hours or on a weekend, which may cost more, and Shane tells you the exact amount before anything happens. Everything is put in writing before anything proceeds, so no invoice ever arrives with a surprise on it.

Is the return of the ashes included?

Yes. Once the cremation is complete, the ashes are delivered to your family, or to a friend you nominate, at no extra charge. If your family is spread across Far North Queensland, talk to Shane and he will work out the simplest way to get them to you.

Does a direct cremation include a coffin?

Yes. Every direct cremation includes an environmentally friendly cardboard coffin, along with mortuary care and private transport to the crematorium. If your family would like a premium coffin or a decorative urn instead, ask when you call and we will quote it plainly before anything is arranged.

Can we still have a funeral or memorial?

Yes, just not as part of the direct cremation. The cremation happens without a service attached, and you are free to hold a memorial, gathering or scattering whenever and wherever you like, with no time pressure. Many families find a later gathering feels more personal than a formal funeral would have.

Need help now? Call Shane, any hour. 0461 543 517 · How a direct cremation works