If you desire to pre-plan funeral services for the benefit of yourself or your family, consider the following:

• Get as much information as possible about the options available. If you choose to pre-pay, ask for a specific list of those items that are included as well as those that are not.
• Get everything in writing and in detail. Like many contracts, details can become unclear over time if only a general agreement is made. This step may solve a lot of difficulties for your family in the future.
• Check to see if the payment agreement can be made now with money delivered later. In some areas, consumers are allowed to make the funeral home a beneficiary of life insurance meant to cover this particular service.
• Check to see if the funeral home puts the money in a trust or escrow upon pre-payment. An affirmative answer is usually a sign that the funeral home is a reputable provider of pre-planning services.
• Talk to your family!

Call your funeral director immediately. Regardless of the day or time, funeral directors are always prepared to respond to your needs quickly and competently, and to guide you through the array of choices that need to be made.

If possible, try to make planning a funeral a joint effort with other family members or very close friends. Working together can sometimes decrease stress and further enable the healing process. Many decisions listed below can be best made by several people, with consideration of the deceased's wishes.

Your funeral director is one of your most important contacts during this process, so feel free to ask any questions or make special requests that will add meaning to the funeral service. To help you find a qualified funeral director, please use our Funeral Home Finder to locate the member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes nearest you. You also may want to read about options other than a choosing a funeral home.

No matter what your funeral preferences, your funeral director can help you with every aspect of the funeral process. Among other things, your funeral director can:

• Arrange the funeral plans
• Help notify friends and family
• Secure necessary permits and death certificates
• Take care of the body
• Coordinate all details with the clergy
• Help in the arranging for burial or cremation
• Notify your attorney if you need legal help
• Help secure any benefits to which you may be entitled
• Follow up after the funeral, providing both practical help in adjusting to your loss

You may provide a list of friends, family and associates you would like the funeral director to contact to inform them of the death and the arrangements. It is also acceptable for you to ask friends, family and associates to contact others to inform them of the death and funeral plans.

The funeral ceremony represents a purposeful opportunity to reflect on a life that has been lived and to honor the memory of that life for family and friends. There is no single proper funeral service, but as with any other significant event in a person's life, the funeral is usually conducted according to the personal and religious practices of the deceased. Generally, a funeral gathering is held in a funeral home or a place of worship. The funeral service usually includes the presence of the body. If the body is not present, the ceremony is referred to as a memorial service.

Whether you choose burial, entombment, cremation, you may arrange either a memorial or funeral service. It is often customary to have a period of visitation or a reception at the funeral home. During this time, the casket may be open or closed according to the family's preferences. Some families opt to receive friends at their home or other location.

Your funeral director can guide you through the wide range of decisions that have to be made. Those decisions include choosing a casket, vault or urn; the type of service; who will preside and a method for people to express their sympathy, such as flowers or donations to a favorite charity.

As many guests attending the funeral may not be of the same religious affiliation, be prepared to respond to questions regarding the funeral, remembrances and mourning period. Use the following link to learn more about a variety of cultural and religious funeral practices.

Following the funeral, family members or legal executor will meet with the deceased's attorney or with the funeral director for the reading of the will. It is usual for the executor of the will to schedule the reading and to invite the participants.