Perhaps you’d like another member of the family to come along with you. Or maybe you’d rather have a friend or close neighbor join you in the first visit to the funeral home. While it’s not necessary to bring someone with you for moral support, it can be very beneficial.

Please don’t hesitate to ask someone to join you. Chances are they will be honored at your request, and gladly step up to help you during this time. When you ask, be sure to tell them that if they do not feel comfortable doing so, you’ll understand.

It’s important to know exactly who is legally responsible for making the final decisions for a loved one. If the deceased has not expressed their wishes through a written document such as a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, or a Last Will and Testament, where the deceased has designated an agent to fulfill their wishes; then the chain of command is commonly as follows:

• Legal Spouse/Partner
• Surviving Adult Child/Children
• Surviving Parent
• Surviving Adult Sibling
• Ex-Spouse
• Parent of Minor Child

The person designated as the responsible party, whoever they may be, needs to be present to make decisions, and sign documents. If you have questions about the accepted kinship-related order of precedence or are unclear as to who is responsible person in funeral planning, call us.

While assigning responsibility is an important part of funeral planning, it’s also very important to include any children, friends, or other family who would like to be a part of arranging the funeral. Despite the fact that they may not have any legal decision-making rights, their input could be very valuable to the process.

Assisting in making the final arrangement decisions can be very empowering, and help someone come to terms with the loss. If there are people in your life who you feel should be asked to participate, make sure you ask them. They can always decline.

Life and death are full of legalities. When a loved one dies, it is not just an emotional matter for those left behind; it is a legal one that requires the timely completion of paperwork. The Funeral Director will tell you that the first step in caring for your loved one involves completing, and filing, the Death Certificate and Burial or Cremation permit.

These documents need to be completed as accurately as possible and if you are not prepared with the necessary information, then most of your initial meeting will be spent retrieving this information.

To assist the funeral home in preparing all the necessary documents, it’s helpful to bring some of the following things with you:

• Deceased’s Birth Certificate
• Deceased’s Marriage Certificate
• Deceased’s Military Discharge papers
• Deceased’s Funeral pre-arrangement documents (if available)
• Deceased Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
• Last Will and Testament and any Codicils
• Revocable Living Trust

If you’ve got questions about the legal documents you should bring with you, please contact us.