What advice are you asking for?

Guess it depends where you live.

New York (Mass graves)

Canada (Actual funerals)

And yes if you're family you can decline to take care of the body. But you don't have to spend 20 grand either. You COULD have a cheaper burial if you like.

Its sad. When my grandma died my mom and I found a box of $1000 in her apartment with a note that it was for her funeral. We could have buried her with that but my mom spent $8000 (in 1999) and it was nice.