After the funeral

Practical matters to be dealt with after the funeral

The administrator of the estate must find out about the life, health, and accident insurance the deceased had. It is also worth asking whether the deceased’s workplace or trade union provides financial support for funeral arrangements. Also, any company that paid a pension to the deceased should be notified of the death.

An inventory of the estate must be carried out within three months of the death. For that, some official documents are required on the deceased and the heirs.

Possession and maintenance of graves

Matters pertaining to the possession of a grave plot and its maintenance can be arranged with the central registry of the Parish Union of Helsinki. The term of the exclusive right of burial is 25 years. The holder of rights to the burial right does not own the actual grave plot; the agreement is similar to a rental contract that can be extended after the expiry date.

The ashes placed in the Kallio church urn vault are held there for 25 years, after which they will be interred in a grave carved in the rock under the church.

There are strict rules on who may be buried in a grave, even with permission from the holder of the exclusive burial right. The decision on who may be buried in the grave must be made within a year of the reservation of a new burial plot, with the right extending primarily to family members. Detailed rules have been drawn up in order to avoid disputes over graves, which can sometimes become very awkward.

The care of the grave

The care of the grave is the responsibility of the holder of the exclusive burial right. A grave must be kept in good condition. This maintenance can be done by the right-holder, or the work can be given to the cemetery foundation for one or two years at a time. Maintenance for a grave can be ordered from the central registry or cemetery offices. In the areas where a decision has been made on uniform maintenance, the graves will be looked after for a fee confirmed separately. The Parish Union looks after gravesites in memorial groves without separate grave plots.

More information about the care of the grave is available from the central regisrty.

Headstones

A headstone or a monument erected on a grave must comply with the cemetery regulations. Before purchasing a headstone, you should contact the cemetery to learn about any restrictions the cemetery has imposed on memorials.

In the Kallio church, attendants look after the urn and the condition of the memorial plaque.