Planning for the future...
Prepaid and Prearranged Funerals
A thoughtful way to arrange and, if desired, prepay for your funeral in advance. This allows you to make informed decisions at your own pace, easing future uncertainty for your loved ones and ensuring your wishes are clearly understood and respected.
Planning ahead brings a sense of reassurance, giving you the opportunity to consider personal choices such as service preferences, music, readings, and other meaningful details that reflect your life and values. It also helps reduce the emotional and financial burden on family members at a difficult time, allowing them to focus on remembrance rather than decision-making.
Our team is here to guide you through each step with care, providing clear information and support so you can make choices that feel right for you and your family.
Connect
Contact our team to organise a preneed appointment. We can step you through all options and discuss the costs involved. We will also discuss the information required for Births, Deaths and Marriages during this time. This appointment is preferred to be in person, however a phone consult is always an option if needed.
Please note: To ensure we can provide accurate and meaningful guidance, we do not offer detailed quotes without first having a conversation or meeting. We believe every arrangement should begin with listening – understanding exactly what is needed so we can offer clear advice, support, and tailored options in a no-obligation discussion.
Decide
We usually suggest that it can be helpful to go away from the first appointment and take some time to consider options and suggestions our team have made during the first appointment. We encourage you to be sure of the choices you are making. Once comfortable, this stage is around payment and the signing of relevant documentation.
Following this, you will receive copies of all paperwork in due course.
Comfort
This is the part where you rest assured knowing that your wishes have been recorded and that the financials have been taken care of. Should you wish to receive updates on your prepaid funeral or make amendments to your wishes, you are always welcome to contact our team.
For an overview of our current pricing, please refer to our funeral costs section, which outlines our standard fees and services. Our team is always available to talk you through these in more detail and help you understand what may be right for your individual circumstances.
Funeral Care Guide
To assist you in preplanning we have created a funeral care booklet. This booklet contains information and resources, a ‘your story’ section and a personal profile record. Download the PDF below. Print versions are available at our office or via post.
FAQ's
My family member has died, I am unsure if they have a prepaid funeral?
If you are unsure whether your loved one had a prepaid funeral plan, our team can help you find out. We can check our records and, where possible, assist in identifying any helpful information we may be able to provide. Simply contact us, and we will guide you through the next steps with care and compassion.
Will my family be required to pay more at the time of my death?
This depends on the type of prepaid funeral arrangement you have in place. Some prepaid funerals cover all agreed funeral costs, while others may require additional payment if changes are made to the original arrangements or if extra products or services are selected. We will always explain any costs clearly and discuss your options with your family before any decisions are made.
What are my options around cancelling or transferring my contract?
Your options will depend on the terms and conditions of your prepaid funeral contract. In many cases, prepaid funeral plans can be transferred if you move or choose another funeral provider. If you are considering transferring your plan, please contact us and we will explain your available options and help make the process as simple as possible.
Where does my money go?
Money paid towards a prepaid funeral is securely invested in accordance with Australian legislation (Prepaid Funeral Act) and is held specifically to fund your future funeral. These funds are not held by our business in any way and remain protected until they are required to provide the funeral services outlined in your agreement.
I would like to leave money to a charity or local iniative – how do I do this?
Leaving a gift to a charity or local community initiative is a meaningful way to create a lasting legacy. You may choose to include a charitable gift in your Will or discuss your wishes with your solicitor or estate planner. If you are pre-planning your funeral, we are also happy to discuss ways your family can honour your wishes through donations in lieu of flowers or by supporting a cause that was important to you.
It is important to me to support locally owned businesses. Are you locally owned?
Yes. William Farmer Pty Ltd is proudly 100% locally owned and operated by Megan and Jesse Cattell.
As a genuinely local family business, we live, work, and raise our family in the community we serve. Every decision we make is made locally, with the needs of local families at heart.
We understand that it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between businesses that are truly locally owned and those that are part of larger organisations or investment groups. While some funeral homes use terms such as “family owned”, they may be owned or operated by national or interstate companies.
When you choose William Farmer, you can be confident you are supporting a locally owned business, with your investment staying within the community to support local families, local staff, local suppliers, and local services.
For us, being locally owned is more than a marketing statement – it’s a genuine commitment to our community and the families who place their trust in us.
What is a direct cremation?
A direct cremation is a simple cremation without a formal funeral service beforehand. It can be a more affordable option and allows families to arrange a private memorial or celebration of life at a later time if they wish.
While some companies focus solely on low-cost direct cremations with limited personal interaction or support, and where the deceased is often taken to an offsite mortuary, often a significant distance from place of death. We believe every person deserves dignity and every family deserves care and guidance. Even with a simple cremation, our team remains committed to providing compassionate, professional service and support throughout the process.
Why the need for Ritual/Ceremony?
There are many conversations around the increasing ‘trend’ we are seeing around direct cremations and while this may be the best options for some families, we are starting to see the broader impacts on individuals and society as a whole, particularly across other parts of the world where Direct Cremation has been around longer.
It is true that funeral ceremonies, no matter the scale and formality, provide an opportunity to acknowledge a life lived, gather support, share memories, and begin the grieving process.
Rituals have long played an important role in helping people process loss, strengthen community connections, and create lasting memories. Taking the time to farewell someone in a meaningful way can support healthier grief, honour a person’s life, and remind us that every life deserves to be recognised and remembered.
This opportunity for acknowledgement is not just about the person who has died, but in many ways more about the people left behind.
Being open minded that a ‘funeral’ doesn’t have to be traditional and overly formal. Unique is often best. It is the act of ‘doing something’ – the process of acknowledging that helps support better outcomes for years to come.
We support families in whatever their decision is, we only encourage education and informed choices.
For more information on this topic the below article is an interesting read.
