Burials And Cremation

One of the areas that can exacerbate the already distressing situation following a death is where there is an argument about where the Deceased should be buried, or whether there should be a burial or a cremation.

It often comes as something of a surprise to the relatives to find that in law it is not possible to "own" the body. It cannot be bought, sold, or even stolen. As the phrase goes, "there is no property in a corpse". As a result, it is not possible strictly to enforce whatever the Will says about the disposal of the body. The only legal obligation regarding the body (which falls on the personal representatives) is a duty to dispose of it.

The two normal methods of disposal of a body are burial or cremation.