Families will want to provide for a dignified ceremony that will celebrate the life of the family member and to ensure their wishes are carried out – another reason to ensure an up-to-date will is in place.

Then there are the costs of the headstone or memorial plaque for a cremation, which can begin to get extremely expensive. The average cost of these is £821.

In terms of paying the costs, difficulties can arise where the deceased retained all control of the cash and investments.

It is very unlikely that probate will be granted before the cremation or burial takes place.

Fortunately, the banks offer a bereavement service which will allow relatives to lodge the death certificate with the bank and allow them to pay for the funeral directly from the deceased’s accounts.

The kindness of people

It is always worth remembering that, although 95 per cent of estates are very straightforward and, as an outside observer, these seem to be easily dealt with following a simple process, most people will find this extremely unsettling, especially if the death was unexpected.

People handle these things in very different ways.

However, it is usually a very sad time and the thing that strikes you during a period of need is how kind people can be.

An adviser who handles a bereaved client who is grieving with sympathy, kindness, knowledge and skill will be a valued professional to them and their family in years to come.

John Somerville is a relationship director at The London Institute of Banking & Finance