If for many French people, taking care of their parents’ last wishes is a natural and obvious gesture, some cannot bring themselves to do it. Family quarrel, financial burden impossible to bear… it may happen that certain children do not wish or cannot take on the responsibility of financing their parents’ funerals. What happens in this case?
Who should legally pay for the funeral?
The Civil Code could not be clearer on the question of the responsibility of the organization and payment of the funeral of a deceased: according tosection 806, it is the direct heir who bears this responsibility. Although it may be a parent still alive, it most often involves the child or children of the deceased. Even if you have renounced the inheritance or you have fallen out with the deceased, you cannot avoid this responsibility. Only one scenario can justify you opting out: if you are able to prove in the context of a legal procedure for reimbursement of funeral costs that your deceased parent seriously failed in his parental obligations during his life.
How can you get help to pay for your parents’ funeral?
If you are experiencing financial difficulties when paying the numerous funeral costs, there are ways to reduce the bill for you. It is already possible to contact the deceased’s bank to obtain a direct debit for reimbursement of funeral costs from their current account, up to a maximum of 5,000 euros. If you are a co-heir, you can force the other co-heirs to take an equal share in the reimbursement of these costs via an amicable procedure, or even a summons to pay. There is also a lot of legal aid: for example, some town halls can cover the funeral costs of their citizens, Social Security can provide a death benefit for the deceased who were in receipt of a disability pension. or recognized as victims of work accidents or occupational illnesses.