Frequently Asked Questions

Government filing fees are set by each state’s Supreme Court and are separate from our fixed legal fee. These fees apply to all law firms, not just Bare Law, and cover the cost of lodging your probate or administration application with the court.

The exact amount depends on which state you’re in and the size of the estate. We’ll explain the applicable fee during your free consultation and include it clearly in your quote before any work begins.

Don’t stress, we’re here to help. 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 give our legal team a call, or book a free consult for some no-obligation advice.

A burial refers to the act of interring (or placing) a loved one in a grave, while a graveside service is a ceremony held at the burial site. Graveside services are often simple and intimate, but can be combined with a larger service like a funeral, held at a separate location beforehand. A graveside service is a beautiful way to say farewell, and observe the burial as it takes place – there are many ways we can help you make this quiet moment truly special, and unique to your family and wishes. You may like to consider having a celebrant or member of the clergy accompany you to lead the service itself.

Once we’ve collected your loved one, we’ll bring them into one of our partner mortuaries where they are signed into the register and given a unique ID plate to track their progress.

After preparation, our mortuary team places your loved one in their chosen coffin. They're then cared for in cool, controlled conditions to best protect their body until the day of their service or cremation.

On the day of the cremation, your loved one is carefully transferred from the holding area to the crematorium. There, their cremation is carried out with dignity. This typically takes around an hour or two. Throughout the journey with us, know that your loved one is in the very best of hands - we treat every person we care for as if they were our own.

We take the responsibility of returning the correct ashes very seriously, and the process to ensure this happens is closely regulated. Your loved one is cremated individually, and their paperwork accompanies them throughout the entire journey. The coffin and the ashes receptacle are all labelled, checked, and verified multiple times to ensure their identity is recorded correctly.

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.

In short, almost anything is possible; whether it’s a traditional, religious, or modern funeral. Feel free to give us a call and we’ll see if we can make it happen.

When it comes to the venue and location options, the short answer is - almost anywhere you like.

We use a wide variety of venues to suit your individual wishes, whether it be a formal service to something more casual. Your dedicated arranger will help you choose your venue based on your wishes, be it a cemetery chapel, a function centre, a sports club, community hall, or a restaurant or pub. We can also work with you if you have somewhere specific in mind that’s not currently listed in our hundreds of Bare partner venues.

To view our Bare Funeral venues, simply head to our venues page and enter your postcode and preferences: https://bare.com.au/venues

Planning from home starts with a simple phone call to our team on 1800 071 176 (we’re available 24/7). You’ll speak with your dedicated concierge, who’ll take some brief details and talk you through the process, along with answering any questions you might have. Their role is to make your life just a little bit easier, and so they will do everything they can to make the cremation or funeral arrangement process as simple as possible.

You don’t need to make a decision right away, but if you choose to move forward with us, we will bring your loved one into our care, from wherever they’ve passed.

From your home, we'll then guide you through the paperwork that must be completed, and keep you constantly informed of what's happening with your loved one. Once the cremation is complete, we'll register the death, arrange for the Death Certificate to be mailed to you, and work with you to have you receive your loved one’s ashes.

How you talk with your dedicated concierge and arranger is entirely up to you - phone, text message, video, or email - whatever is right for you, is right for us. You’ll also have 24/7 access to updates on your loved one via our funeral arrangement platform, along with the ability to pause, save and resume any required forms and paperwork online throughout the process.

Once we’ve collected your loved one, we’ll bring them into one of our partner mortuaries.

As a first step, we'll sign them into the register and give them a unique ID plate to ensure we can track their progress throughout the journey with us.

After preparation, our mortuary team places your loved one in their chosen coffin. They're then cared for in cool, controlled conditions to best protect their body until the day of their service or cremation.

On the day of the cremation, your loved one is carefully transferred from the holding area to the crematorium. There, their cremation is carried out with dignity. This typically takes around an hour or two. Throughout the journey with us, know that your loved one is in the very best of hands - we treat every person we care for as if they were our own.

The needs of every family are different, and you’ll be able to choose the exact support you want to receive.

As a memorial service does not have the coffin present it can take place at any time.  

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We do request at least 7 days however to plan the memorial, as it requires securing a venue, meeting with a celebrant (if you choose to include one in your package) and organising the many features of the day. If you wish to have the ashes of your loved one present at the memorial we would also need to have the memorial booked on a date that ensures their ashes are available to come back to the family.  

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Giving yourself time and not feeling rushed is something we feel is quite important for you at a time like this.

Embalming, or the long term preservation of a loved one’s body, is not always required for a burial. However, embalming may be required by specific cemeteries or services. Burials in a vault or crypt for example do require embalming as part of the good care of the deceased and to meet health and safety requirements under the cemetery’s policies. We can take you through your options, guide you through pricing, and help you make the right choice for your needs. 

Photo presentations allow for the sharing of rich and intimate moments with everyone gathered at the funeral or memorial 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.

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​Your arranger will work with you to create a slideshow to be played at the service.  You'll need to provide us with the photos and select the music you'd like to be played. We recommend showing about 40 photos per song, and playing 1-2 songs. If you only have a few photos, this is fine. We can even show one still photo while a song is played, to allow your guests a time of reflection.

A funeral is a service celebrating your loved one’s life that has the coffin present at the service. It therefore takes place before the cremation and at a venue suitable for the presence of a coffin.

A memorial service in comparison does not have the coffin present at the service. Because of this the service can take place at a wider variety of venues and at any time, before or after the cremation. Many families choose to wait till their loved one's ashes are home and have the ashes present at the service.

Bare offers both types of services and the choice will ultimately depend on the family’s preferences. Speak to our arrangers to understand which type of service may be best for you and your family. If you wish to receive a free quote online, you will see options available depending on your location.

Regardless of which service you choose, Bare will be there with you on the day. From the initial planning stages to the day of the service itself, our team is physically present to help coordinate the details, support your guests, and ensure everything runs exactly as you envisioned. You aren't just left with a plan; you have our dedicated team by your side to help manage the day from start to finish.