Direct cremations

Cremation is a method of preparing the deceased for memorialisation. The process reduces the deceased’s body to ashes by exposing it to open flames, intense heat and evaporation. Unlike traditional burials, where the body naturally breaks down over years, cremation takes only a few hours.

A direct cremation is a cremation without a funeral service or ceremony, or attendees. Because we take care of the cremation and all the associated paperwork, families are free to arrange a memorial service that feels right once the ashes are returned.

At Willed, our core mission is to make end of life planning simple, affordable and accessible for all Australians. With that in mind, we are offering you a more simple service than traditional funeral homes.

Instead of paying high overheads for physical locations, we chat with you over the phone, via live chat or even video call. And, using our human-centred technology, we have been able to automate many manual processes. Rather than inflating our profit margins, we pass these savings directly to you.

Although direct cremations are simple and cost less, they are no less meaningful or respectful than traditional burials or other types of funeral services.

Once you let us know your loved one has passed, your dedicated arranger will coordinate the collection and transfer of your loved one into the care of our accredited partner mortuary facility. Our team will usually arrive within two hours of your call, depending on where your loved one has passed. Once at the mortuary facility, they will be respectfully prepared for cremation. Following the service, we will deliver the ashes to you. After that, if you’d like us to, we can also help you to administer your loved one’s estate.

To start the process, you can call our funeral arrangers on 1300 945 533  any time -  24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year, and choose the Funerals option when prompted.

From the time we collect your loved one, it usually takes around 10 business days until the ashes are delivered to you. This timeframe can vary depending on whether any clearances are required from relevant authorities such as hospitals, nursing homes or the coroner.

After the cremation, we’ll return your loved one’s ashes to you. From there, you can choose a memorial or farewell that feels right for your family, whether that’s a private gathering, a formal service, or something more personal.

Many people keep the ashes in an urn, scatter them somewhere meaningful, bury them at a cemetery or crematorium, or create a keepsake. We also stock a range of scattering tubes and decorative urns if you’d like help choosing something suitable.

For more ideas, read our guide on what to do with ashes.

Any jewellery will be removed and returned to you with the ashes.

Titanium joints (eg. hip or knee replacements) are removed following cremation and recycled. Pacemakers or other medical aids powered by a battery are respectfully removed before the cremation. This is because they may explode and damage the cremator.

We have partnered with an accredited mortuary facility where only one person is ever cremated at a time. 

At Willed, we know we only have one planet Earth and we all need to do our bit to look after it. As part of our service, we include an eco-friendly coffin which has a much smaller footprint than traditional coffins. Although cremations emit more carbon emissions than traditional burials, their long-term impact is actually less (think about the emissions needed to create those fancy coffins and to mow all that grass!)