Cremation Options

As with a traditional funeral, there are many options available if a person requests cremation.
For example, these may include
• a traditional funeral service, including visitation with the body present and a church service, followed by cremation and burial.
• visitation with the urn displayed;
• a service in a church or other religious place with the urn displayed;
• a memorial service after cremation;
• transportation of the cremated remains for final disposition in another country;
• interment of cremated remains in a previously occupied family plot or special section
designated by the cemetery;
• placement of the cremated remains in an interior or exterior columbarium (a structure withniches designed to hold urns); and
• the scattering of cremated remains over land or water.

As noted, some families choose to first hold a visitation with the body present before cremation. In this case, many funeral homes offer rental caskets with interior liners that are removed after each use so that a casket need not be purchased. Once the visitation or church service is finished, the deceased is placed in a cremation container, the body is cremated, and the remains are interred or scattered per the deceased’s request. Others may choose direct cremation instead. In this case, a person’s body is cremated soon after death, without embalming, and the remains are placed in an urn. If a memorial service is held, the cremated remains may be present. Generally, direct cremation costs less than a traditional funeral. It is important to keep in mind that when a person chooses cremation, certain documentation must first be completed to protect the crematory from liability. For example, a crematory requires a death certificate, burial transit permit, and a signed “authority to cremate” document before cremation can occur. The deceased’s authorized next-of-kin or legal representative must complete and sign the formauthorizing cremation. Generally, the authorization to cremate form covers such things as
• whether death resulted from infectious or contagious disease;
• whether embalming is required;
• how the cremation process works;
• confirmation that the deceased did not execute a consent donating his or her organs or body to science
• a standard indemnification clause in which the signor agrees to hold the crematory harmless from any claims, liability, or costs arising from the cremation.

In some states, people are permitted by law to authorize their own cremation in advance. Therefore, it is important to confirm whether self-authorization is allowed in a person’s state of residence. If not, a person’s executor, next of kin, or legally authorized agent has the authority to choose what the final arrangements will be, if not otherwise noted. However, if a person puts his or her final wishes in writing, it is unlikely that a third party would not follow such requests. And, if the deceased left specific instructions in a will, power of attorney, or other legal document, the executor of the will or agent would have the legal authority and duty to carry out the instructions regarding cremation.