Myth: You must use a Funeral Director

5 May

For many Australians, the moment someone dies can feel overwhelming. In the midst of shock and grief, families are often told – directly or indirectly – that the next step is to “call a funeral director.” It can feel like there is no other option.

But this belief is a myth. The fact is, there are very few circumstances in which you would HAVE to use a funeral director.

Why people believe this

Funeral directors have become the most visible – and sometimes the only – pathway people see after a death. Hospitals, aged care facilities, and even well-meaning professionals often default to this assumption because it’s what they’re used to.

Over time, this has created the impression that funeral directors are legally required, rather than one possiblea choice.

Cultures around the world have been caring for their dead for millennia – and we can in Australia too.

The reality

In every state and territory in Australia, you do not legally need a funeral director. Loved ones are legally allowed to care for their dead themselves.

You are legally allowed to:

Keep the body at home for a period of time
Take a body home from hospital, an aged care facility or the coroner (however please note that some of these organisations have policies that require a body to be released to a funeral director. This doesn’t mean you need to hand over everything to the funeral director, but you may need one to deal with the authorities in some cases)
Wash, dress, and prepare the body
Build your own coffin
Sew your own shroud
Organise transport to burial or cremation
Hold a home funeral, memorial, or no ceremony at all

You must:

Have the death certified
Register the death in the state or territory where the death occurred
Follow basic health and safety rules for transport and final disposition.

A funeral director can help with these tasks – but in most cases, they are not legally mandatory.

What is a home funeral?

In Australia a home funeral has become a broad term for family and/or community led home-based care of a person from the time of death until the funeral.

This can include:

home-based death care and/or
home funeral ceremonies

and promotes environmentally responsible practices and choices.

Source: Natural Death Advocacy Network (NDAN)

You can view the full NDAN “What is a home funeral?” flyer here

What this means for you and your circle of care

You have a choice in how death care is handled in Australia. Knowing you have a choice can be deeply empowering.

Some people choose a funeral director because they want support, guidance, or time away from logistics. Others choose to care for their dead themselves because it feels more personal, cultural, spiritual, or affordable.

There is no “right” way – only what is right for you.

Importantly, people can also choose a combination: doing some parts themselves and paying for professional help only where needed, such as transport or paperwork. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing – unless you want it to.

Why this myth can be harmful

When people believe they have no choice, they may:

Spend more money than they can afford
Feel rushed into decisions they don’t understand
Miss opportunities for meaningful involvement
Feel regret later about not knowing their options

Grief is hard enough without feeling powerless.

A gentler way forward

Death doesn’t belong to an industry – it belongs to people, families and communities.

The funeral industry is a service industry. That means it should work for you – not the other way around.

Learning that you don’t have to use a funeral director doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. It simply means you get to choose what role, if any, you want them to play..

And choice is one of the most compassionate things we can offer people at the end of life – and after it.

Frequently asked questions

Do you legally need a funeral director in Australia?

No. A funeral director is not legally required in any Australian state or territory. However there are instances where policy is different to the law – for example the aged care facility may have a policy of requiring a funeral director. Then its up to you about how much you want to push this. Remember, you can use a funeral director for some parts or all of the process.

Can you take a body home after death in Australia?

Yes. Loved ones can take the body home from a hospital, aged care facility, or coroner (with appropriate paperwork).

Can you organise a funeral yourself?

Yes. You can organise burial or cremation yourself, as long as legal requirements are met.

What is required after someone dies in Australia?

Death must be certified
Death must be registered
Burial or cremation must follow health regulations

Some useful links:

Link to Death Literacy Index (Link to https://www.deathliteracy.institute/death-literacy-index-questions)

Death literacy helps us understand and act up our end-of-life and deathcare options. To assess how much you know, answer the questions in the Death Literacy Index, created by the Death Literacy Institute. https://www.deathliteracy.institute/death-literacy-index-questions

Australian Home Funeral Alliance (AHFA) (link to https://www.ahfa.org.au/) - AHFA is the Australian national peak body for home funerals and family led death care. The website has everything you need to know about home funerals. From explanations of what home funerals are, to a directory of home funeral requirements by State and Territory, to a list of Home Funeral Friendly Funeral Directors.

Natural Death Advocacy Network (NDAN) (link to https://ndan.com.au/) - NDAN is a growing Australian network and advocacy partnership of community facilitators, professionals, activists and educators working to enrich the experience of dying and death.

Registering a Death

You can register the death yourself using official government services:

National guide: https://my.gov.au – search “register a death”

State & Territory Registries (Direct Links)

This article is based on Australian state and territory legislation and guidance from organisations including the Australian Home Funeral Alliance (AHFA), Natural Death Advocacy Network (NDAN) and The Death Literacy Institute.

The authors have used AI to assist with the drafting of this article but it’s been edited and fact checked by a real person. However, we and AI can make mistakes, so if you see something that’s incorrect, please let us know.

Michelle Chaperon