Why Beforehand exists
When my father died in 2024, I was completely unprepared.
Not for the grief, nothing prepares you for that, but for everything else. I had no idea what to do, who to call, or what order things needed to happen in. We picked a funeral director from the phone book because we didn't know there were options. We didn't know a direct cremation existed, or that it cost a fraction of what we paid. We didn't know you could hold a funeral without a funeral director at all. Every government agency needed to be contacted separately, and there was no single place that laid it all out — just scattered pages across dozens of websites, written in language nobody processes when they're grieving.
I kept looking for something that brought it all together — one place with clear steps, honest costs, and no jargon. It didn't exist. So I built it.
What this site is
- A free, practical guide to what happens when someone dies in New Zealand
- Transparent information about funeral costs and options
- Step-by-step checklists so you know what to do and when
- Built to work on your phone, even with a bad connection
- No ads, no data collection, no sponsored content
What this site is not
- Not legal advice — the information here is general in nature. For your specific situation, talk to a solicitor.
- Not financial advice — we provide information about grants, costs, and options, but we don't advise on financial decisions.
- Not medical advice — we cover advance directives and organ donation factually, not as health guidance.
- Not affiliated with any funeral director, solicitor, or financial provider
Accuracy and currency
We work hard to keep the information on this site accurate and up to date. Dollar figures (funeral grants, probate costs, etc.) change periodically — we note the date these were last verified and link to the authoritative government source wherever possible.
If you notice something that's out of date or incorrect, email hello@beforehand.nz.
Last reviewed: April 2026
All dollar figures and legal requirements were verified against government sources at this date.