You called someone in the first hours, and now the quote is more than you expected, or the person who signed isn't the person handling things anymore. Wanting out can feel awkward, even disloyal.
Can you change funeral homes after a death? In most cases, yes, as long as the service hasn't been fully provided. That holds even if the first funeral home already has your loved one in its care. You may still owe for work already done, and the person who signed the contract is the one who ends it. The new provider then arranges the move.
This guide covers what each province says, what the first provider can still bill, and how the transfer works. A family who called Cleo recently had a quote about double what they'd paid for a parent's cremation years earlier. They needed to know the same day whether they could leave. The rules below were checked against each province's laws in November 2026.
Ontario and Quebec at a glance
| Question | Ontario | Quebec |
|---|---|---|
| Can you end the contract? | Yes, by written notice, until it's fully performed | Yes. The Civil Code lets a client end a service contract even after work has begun |
| What can the first provider keep or bill? | The value of what was provided. After 30 days, also 10% or $350, whichever is less | Costs, the value of work done before your notice, and usable goods supplied. Other losses can be claimed |
| Who gives notice? | The purchaser, or a person named in the contract | The person who signed the contract |
| When does money come back? | Within 30 days of your notice | Advances above what the provider earned must be returned. The Code sets no date |
| Who can answer questions? | Bereavement Authority of Ontario, 1-844-493-6356 | Office de la protection du consommateur, 1-888-672-2556 |
Can you change funeral homes after a death in Ontario?
Yes. Ontario's Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act gives you cancellation rights on a funeral contract, including one signed after a death. You use them by giving the provider written notice, and what you get back depends on timing.
- Within 30 days of signing: you get back what you paid, less the value of anything already provided. If nothing has been provided, you get it all back.
- After 30 days: the same rule applies, and the provider can also keep 10% of the amount or $350, whichever is less.
- Once everything in the contract has been provided: there's nothing left to cancel.
The provider has 30 days from your notice to send any refund.
Two details help when you read the bill. A contract must be written, signed by both sides, set out your cancellation rights, and list each supply and service with its price. If yours doesn't, the provider can't enforce it, though it can sometimes still keep the value of work already done. Every provider must also give you its price list for free and post it on its website, so you can check each charge against it.
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Can you change funeral homes after a death in Quebec?
Yes. Under the Civil Code of Québec, a client can end a service contract on their own, even once the work has started (art. 2125). This is the Code's general rule for service contracts. The Office de la protection du consommateur's pages on funeral contracts don't address ending one, so read your contract for any terms on cancellation.
If you end the contract, art. 2129 sets what's owed, in proportion to the agreed price:
- actual costs and expenses
- the value of work done before your notice
- the value of goods supplied, if they can be handed over and you can use them
The provider must return any advance above what it earned. Each side can also claim for other losses, so a dispute over the amount is possible.
A contract signed after a death has to be itemized: each good and service with its price, taxes shown separately, in two copies. That list is your starting point for working out what was actually provided.
Who can make the change?
Family roles get tangled quickly, and it's common for one relative to sign and another to take over. The person who signed ends the contract, the person with legal authority decides, and they aren't always the same person.
Who can end the contract? The person who signed it. In Ontario, that's the purchaser or someone named in the contract. If a sibling signed and has stepped back, they usually have to give the notice themselves, even if you're now the one making the calls.
Who has the authority to decide? That's a different question, and the two provinces answer it differently. Ontario looks to the estate trustee first, and Quebec to your loved one's wishes, then the liquidator or the heirs. Neither has a ranked next-of-kin list in law. For the detail, see who decides on the funeral home in Ontario and who decides in Quebec.
If family members disagree, settle that before anyone moves your loved one. A second move and a second bill are hard on everyone.
How the transfer works, step by step
Asking to leave is an uncomfortable call to make, and funeral homes do get this request. You don't have to give a reason, and you don't have to do it in person. Here's the order that keeps your loved one from being caught between two providers:
- Ask for an itemized statement. Request, in writing, what has been done so far and what each item costs.
- Choose the new provider first. Get their total in writing, and find out what's included. Here's what to ask a new provider. Expect to sign with them and arrange payment before they collect.
- Give written notice. Tell the first provider you're ending the contract, quote the contract number and date, and say who'll be collecting your loved one. Keep a copy.
- Let the new provider arrange the pickup. They deal with the first provider directly, so you don't have to coordinate the move yourself.
- Ask which documents the new provider handles. They take over the paperwork the cremation or burial requires, though some forms may still need your signature.
If your loved one hasn't been picked up yet
This is the simplest moment to change, and it can still feel urgent. Call the hospital or care home yourself and tell them which provider you've chosen. Staff who have another funeral home's name on file will often wait to hear it directly from the family. Our guide to how a hospital releases your loved one walks through the Montreal process.
If you only have a quote and haven't signed, there may be no contract to end. Tell the first provider you've made another choice. If it has already done something at your request, such as collecting your loved one, it may still ask to be paid for that.
In Quebec, the death bulletin can get stuck
In Quebec, the doctor or nurse completes a death bulletin (SP-3) online, and it names the funeral services business. When the family changes providers, that document can stay tied to the first one, which holds up the move. We've seen this hold up a transfer.
The new provider asks the first one to share it, or asks the hospital or care home directly. Quebec law says a body can only be moved with a copy of the constat de décès, the record of death, given by someone authorized to draw it up. That's why a hospital or care home can often help. You may be asked to make a call to speed that along.
What if the first funeral home asks for payment before releasing your loved one?
It's a fair worry, and we couldn't find a law that settles it either way. We read Ontario's funeral law and regulation and Quebec's funeral operations and funeral contracts laws, and none of them says a provider can or can't hold a body over an unpaid bill. We also didn't find a Canadian court decision on it.
What you can do:
- Ask for the amount in writing, itemized, and ask what each charge is for.
- Compare it with the contract, and in Ontario with the provider's price list.
- Ask whether they'll release your loved one if you pay the part you agree with while the rest is sorted out.
- Call the regulator. In Ontario, the Bereavement Authority of Ontario takes complaints at 1-844-493-6356 or complaints@thebao.ca. In Quebec, the Office de la protection du consommateur answers questions and takes complaints at 1-888-672-2556.
- Talk to a lawyer or notary if your loved one isn't released, or if the amount is in serious dispute.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Questions families ask
Frequently asked questions
Is there a deadline to change funeral homes?
There's no fixed deadline, but the option ends once the service has been fully provided, and a cremation can't be undone. In Ontario, the 30-day mark changes what you get back. In Quebec, storage rules tighten over time: 4°C or less from 24 hours after the death, and 0°C or less by 60 days. Storage can also add to the bill.
Can I switch if my loved one was already embalmed?
Yes. Embalming doesn't stop a transfer, and it doesn't stop a cremation. You may owe the first provider for it as work already done. In Ontario, the regulator's sample contract has a separate line for authorizing embalming, so check whether you signed for it, and raise it with the provider if you didn't.
How long does a transfer take?
It depends on how quickly the first provider releases your loved one and how quickly the documents reach the new one. There's no standard time. Ask the new provider what they expect in your case, and ask them to tell you as soon as the pickup is booked, so you aren't left waiting by the phone.
What if there's a prepaid plan?
It can change the answer, so check what the plan covers before you change anything. It's a separate contract with its own rules. In Quebec, a seller must check the prearrangement registry before signing with you after a death, and give you proof that it did. Our guide to cancelling a prepaid funeral contract explains what comes next.
Do these rules apply if I want to leave Cleo?
Yes. Ontario's law and Quebec's Civil Code apply to Cleo's contracts the same way they apply to anyone else's. If you've signed with us and change your mind, tell us in writing. We'd rather you felt sure about your choice than stayed because leaving seemed too hard.
If you're thinking of changing funeral homes
If you're thinking of changing funeral homes after a death, you don't have to decide this alone, and asking a question doesn't commit you to anything. Call us and a real person will answer, 24/7, in English or French. We'll review where things stand, explain your options, and handle the arrangements with the first provider if you decide to move.
With Cleo, a direct cremation provider in Quebec and Ontario, you pay one fixed, all-inclusive price, and what we quote is what you pay. Transport stays included when we collect from another funeral home, on the same terms as any other pickup, though farther locations can carry a transport fee. Tax is added, and death certificates and a decorative urn aren't included.
If you decide to stay where you are, that's your call, and we'll still answer your questions.
(438) 817-1770