Who insists on the poshest funerals? Yep, it’s the lawyers

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By Judge John Hack on

Latest UK death research shows the legal profession beats bankers and generals by being keenest to splurge its way into the afterlife

coffin

Fat cats in life; fat cats in death.

That’s the view of lawyers from a top-flight band of funeral directors, which claims that those in the legal profession insist on the priciest of send-offs, far outpacing bankers.

The burial and cremation merchants found that 15% of lawyers will spend more than the national average of £3,600 on a funeral.

Lawyers just pipped doctors and other health professionals, with 13% of that crowd coughing up more than the national average with their last breath.

Military personnel were in third place, followed by those in the financial services sector and then teachers.

The researchers found that 34% of dead professionals across the board had stated they wanted “to be remembered”, which doesn’t seem too much to ask for in the circumstances.

Another 29% wanted to put a “personal stamp” on their funerals (presumably insisting that those attending were kitted out in Elvis costumes, or, in the case of lawyers, as Court of Appeal judges).

“It is interesting to see just how many people seem to be spending more than the national average on funerals and, in particular, that those working in the legal sector end up having the most expensive final farewells,” commented Emma Simpson of Perfect Choice Funerals, adding:

“A funeral is often the time where an individual’s final impressions are aired to friends and family, so there are those who will want to spend a little more for a particular arrangement, especially the more unusual.”

She went on:

“However, these unusual or more quirky requests don’t have to break the bank and making a final farewell personal can be very simple. It’s all about choice and what is right for you and your circumstances.”

Wigs on coffins all round, then.