Funeral: a mandatory information notice to better accompany families

This leaflet will be identical for all professionals in the sector and will thus allow families to better know their rights, compare offers and distinguish between mandatory and optional benefits.

What information will you find in this leaflet?

All funeral operators (funeral companies, municipalities or associations) will have to provide families with a standardized information leaflet containing information on:

• the rights of families in funeral matters, including their freedom to choose the company of funeral home and the main steps to be taken;
• compulsory services for the organization of funerals;
• services required only in certain situations, for example to meet health constraints or related to the transport or preservation of the body.

The package leaflet will also recall that the funeral estimate is free and without obligation. It will indicate that families can solicit several companies to compare offers before making their choice.

The document will present the main mandatory benefits, including the supply of the coffin with an identity plate, a waterproof bowl and four handles. It will also detail the specific obligations relating to burial or cremation.

Practical information will also be included in the leaflet concerning the transport of the body, the different places where the deceased can be kept before the funeral (home, mortuary or funeral chamber), as well as the methods of dispersion of the ashes.

Finally, the leaflet will indicate the possible remedies in the event of a dispute with a funeral operator and the possibility of referring the consumer to the mediator to which he adheres.

In order to guarantee identical information regardless of the funeral operator consulted, this notice must be neutral and contain no no company name, logo or advertising message. It must also be displayed in a visible manner in establishments open to the public and published on the operator's website when it owns one.