Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! At Bare, we understand that each person is unique and we believe in helping you create a personalised service that reflects the life and personality of your loved one. Our experienced team will work closely with you to understand your preferences, desires and ideas, ensuring the funeral service is tailored to meet your needs and pays tribute to the life of the deceased.

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In short, almost anything is possible. Feel free to give us a call and we’ll see if we can make it happen.

A grant of probate is granted when the deceased held a Will and this Will is submitted to the Court. Letters of Administration are granted when someone passes away without a Will and someone close to the deceased (generally next of kin) applies to become the Administrator of the estate.  If you're not sure what you will require, feel free to schedule a call here and they'll be happy to give you some no-obligation advice. 

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As part of the Prepaid Cremation arrangement, you will receive a funeral contract, and your detailed policy documents in hard copy, which lists all the prearranged services agreed upon. We'll provide you with a digital copy immediately on purchase, and hard copy documents are delivered via post within 14 days of purchase. You will also receive a copy of your Lifeplan Australia Friendly Society Disclosure Document outlining how your money is kept safe.

After you have finished filling out your Will Form it must be printed then signed. Signing the Will correctly is vital to ensure it is valid.

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The Will-maker (testator) and both witnesses must be present at the same time of signing. They must also use the same pen to sign and date the Will Form, including any additional pages or correction notations (codicils) added to your Will. Use a black or dark blue pen. 

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Signing each page of the Will is extremely important, to ensure absolute certainty that extra pages have not been inserted, removed or replaced later. You and each of your witnesses MUST be present together to sign the Will Form. The three of you will need to sign the bottom of each page of your Will. The witnesses will need to write in their full name and address, this usually is done on the last page of the Will. Don’t forget, the three of you must use the same pen, so take turns signing and filling in the details.

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Aside from not having a witness sign the document, the Will-maker can sometimes pass away without themselves having finalised and signed it. If it’s not signed, it’s simply not valid. So ensure you don’t forget this vital step.

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Yes we collect anytime day or night. Sometimes we will be dictated by the location of collection, for example certain hospitals will have dedicated collection times that we must adhere to. Needless to say, we will always collect as soon as possible – and there are never any out of hours hidden fees.  

The memorial table at your service is important as it represents the unique life and personality of your loved one. You can display photographs, personal items, mementos and keepsakes. These items provide a tangible connection to the person and help to bring their story to life during the service. We've had memorial tables that have included sporting memorabilia, cook books, war medals, favourite records and everything in between.  

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Wills and estate plans shouldn’t be a ‘set and forget’ approach, but reviewed every few years or whenever there is a significant change to your personal or financial circumstances. For example, it’s wise to make a new Will, as soon as possible, if:

• there is a change in your relationship: if you marry, divorce, separate, have children, or enter into or end a de facto relationship;
• you buy or sell a major asset like a house or car. Any items that you’ve listed as specific bequests will need to be updated if they are no longer in your possession;
• you, or anyone else named in your Will changes their name; 
• your executor has died since you wrote your Will, or if they are unable to execute your Will for some reason.

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You can. Many families choose to hold a funeral service, such as a religious or secular ceremony, followed by a burial. This is called a Dual Service Burial. The funeral allows a larger group of family and friends to gather and pay their respects, while the burial provides a moment for final goodbyes. Both can be arranged to suit your family and loved one’s wishes. There are endless ways to give these services a personal touch – we’ll help you celebrate your loved one’s life story just the right way.

Once we collect your loved one, we take them into our care.  This is typically the mortuary of our service provider, where they will be cared for while we arrange for the cremation to take place.  Throughout their time with us, rest assured that your loved one will be treated as if they were our own. 

If you’re currently paying funeral insurance, you have three options. The first is to cancel your funeral insurance payments, and convert to a prepaid cremation plan. This means you forfeit your potential payout, but this is likely the cheapest option if you’re unlikely to require our service for three years or more. The second option is to continue paying your funeral insurance premiums, and also take out a prepaid plan. As funeral insurance simply pays out a lump sum of cash, this could be used by your family for anything (as a gift for a car, holiday, education etc) if you’ve also prepaid your funeral. The final option is to keep paying funeral insurance, and simply use that payout to arrange a Bare cremation when the time comes. This is what we recommend if you’re expecting to require our service in the next three years. 

Catering is an optional extra, as some families choose not to provide any catering. We will tailor our venue recommendations to your preference, as some venues require catering, such as restaurants.

Timeframes vary depending on cultural or religious customs, family preferences and venue availability. Generally, burials occur approximately a week after death, but your Bare arranger can assist with alternative planning if more time is needed for family to travel or to fulfil other arrangements. We’ll guide you through your individual situation and circumstances – reach out to our team at any time, day or night. 

We have a dedicated aftercare team that will act as your concierge throughout this process. While they work closely together, this will be a different person from your funeral arranger. Your arranger will remain your primary contact throughout the cremation and Bare funeral / memorial service.

A Bare Funeral package  is a simple funeral that includes everything in Bare Cremation, a funeral coffin, and a service at one of our recommended venues. We also coordinate a photographic slideshow tribute with your selected music to remember your loved one, all curated in a way that best celebrates the life they lived.

While a Bare Funeral package covers the essentials for a simple yet meaningful service, we understand that every individual and family has different preferences. You can tailor the service to your preferences with optional extras such as a celebrant, flowers, stationery, or catering, available for an additional cost.

Your prepaid contract includes a breakdown of each service and its associated costs. If you'd like to review the details, you can request this anytime or you can visit our website to generate a quote and select the option to email yourself a copy.

We have a different business model to traditional funeral homes. Traditional funeral homes have high fixed operating costs - with physical funeral parlours to manage and maintain. Bare is different. By offering simple services that can be arranged online or over the phone, we can provide high quality services at affordable prices.  

Photo presentations allow for the sharing of rich and intimate moments with everyone gathered at the funeral service. Accompanying music allows you to share your loved one's favourite songs. We recommend that families include a wide variety of photos of all stages of your loved one’s life.

The advertised price for a Bare Cremation is the final price. We understand that the funeral industry is known for hidden fees, but with our Bare Cremation package – our most affordable option – the price you see is the price you pay. We don't charge extra for weekend or overnight transfers, oversized coffins, or pacemaker removal. You have full control over adding optional services such as a viewing, memorial or funeral service, urn choices, or a different means of return of ashes to you than is included in the base package. You'll be provided with clear quoted pricing, so you can make an informed decision and keep control over your finances. If you haven’t already, you can view full pricing specific to your location and inclusions by clicking ‘Instant Quote’ at the top of this page.

Our care team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1800 071 176 or via email – [email protected]. 

We generally advise families that the timing from collection of your loved one to when you receive their ashes is 3 weeks. However, this may vary depending on many factors, including your preferred option for bringing your loved one’s ashes home. It is best to obtain guidance from your arranger.

Funeral expenses are considered an estate expense, this means that the deceased’s bank accounts can be used to pay for the funeral expenses. However, if any other person pays for the funeral expenses, they are entitled to be reimbursed for these expenses from the estate.

Your chosen executor should be someone you can trust to make decisions about your estate. People generally nominate their spouse, sibling, an adult child, or some other close family member or friend. Others may choose a solicitor, however, it is not necessary to hold any professional qualifications to be an executor.

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Other considerations include a person’s organisation skills, ability to manage details, their knowledge of all beneficiaries’ whereabouts and their travel time to the beneficiaries. If the person you choose moves to another country, it may be easier to write a new Will that nominates a different person to perform the task.

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Your executor cannot be a witness to the signing of the Will, however they can be a beneficiary, providing they are 18 years of age or older. They must also be willing to take on the task.

We will guide you through the entire process and, where possible, do things on your behalf. We will require specific information from you and may require authorisation to act on your behalf

When you purchase a prepaid cremation, we must legally remit GST immediately. That means we take out the GST component of the amount paid and send it to the Australian Tax Office. We also take our setup fee to pay for the administration and setup of your Prepaid Bond in a regulated fund with the Lifeplan Australia Friendly Society. All of these costs are clearly outlined on your prepaid cremation contract. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to call or email us anytime. We pride ourselves on complete transparency. 

Every Bare family we work with is different! We will start off your aftercare journey by determining all of the different areas of support you require for your unique circumstance.