When we liquidate an unclaimed succession, we use the balance of the liquidation, if any, to reimburse the creditors according to their rank and the order of priority set out in the Civil Code of Québec, provided we receive the required supporting documents (bills, bank statements, etc.).

Funeral expenses

Funeral expenses are part of the charges on the succession and can be claimed by the person who paid them. As with any other creditor of the succession, supporting documents must be provided. The amount of the expenses claimed from the succession will be deducted, if applicable, from the death benefit paid by Retraite Québec, provided the deceased gave entitlement to that benefit.

The following expenses can be claimed:

• body transportation and embalming fees; 
• the cost of the casket;
• the cost of the cremation urn and niche; 
• the funeral home's viewing and visitation fees;
• the fees for the memorial service (whether religious or not); 
• the burial or cremation fees;
• the funeral director's fees;
• the death notice publication fees;
• the cost of purchasing a burial plot (in proportion to the expenses incurred for the deceased);
• the cost of the funerary monument or inscription (in proportion to the expenses incurred for the deceased); 
• the telephone or telegram fees incurred to contact or attempt to contact the members of the immediate family; 
• the cost of thank-you cards and bookmarks; 
• the taxes on the eligible expenses.