What details should I include in a final arrangements document?

What you choose to include is a personal matter, likely to be dictated by custom, religious preference, or simply your own whims. A typical final arrangements document might include:

• whether you want your remains to be buried or cremated
• the name of the mortuary or other institution that will handle burial or cremation
• whether or not you want your body to be embalmed
• the type of casket or container in which your remains will be buried or cremated, including whether you want it present at any after-death ceremony
• the details of any ceremony you want before the burial or cremation
• who your pallbearers will be if you wish to have some
• how your remains will be transported to the cemetery and gravesite
• where your remains will be buried, stored, or scattered
• the details of any ceremony you want to accompany your burial, interment, or scattering, and
• the details of any marker you want to show where your remains are buried or interred.

What services can I expect from a mortuary?

Most mortuaries or funeral homes are equipped to handle many of the details related to disposing of a person's remains. These include:

• collecting the body from the place of death
• storing the body until it is buried or cremated
• making burial or cremation arrangements
• conducting ceremonies related to the burial or cremation
• preparing the body for burial or cremation, and
• arranging to have the body transported for burial or cremation.

Note that the costs of these services vary dramatically, however. It is essential that you shop around if cost is an important part of your decision.

Where can I turn for help in choosing cost-effective mortuary services and burial arrangements?

From an economic standpoint, choosing the institution to handle your burial is probably the most important final arrangement that you can make. For this reason, many people join memorial or funeral societies, which help them find local mortuaries that will deal honestly with their survivors and charge reasonable prices.

Society members are free to choose whatever final arrangements they wish. Most societies, however, emphasize simple arrangements over the costly services often promoted by the funeral industry. The services offered by each society differ, but most societies distribute information on options and explain the legal rules that apply to final arrangements.

If you join a society, you will receive a form that allows you to plan for the goods and services you want -- and to get them for a predetermined cost. Many societies also serve as watchdogs, making sure that you get and pay for only the services you choose.

The cost for joining these organizations is low -- usually from $20 to $40 for a lifetime membership, although some societies periodically charge a small renewal fee.

To find a funeral or memorial society near you, look in the Yellow Pages of your telephone book under Funeral Information and Advisory Services, or contact the Funeral Consumers Alliance at 800-765-0107, or online at www.funerals.org.

If you don't want to join a society, you can look for a mortuary or funeral home on your own. You'll have to shop around to find the institution that best meets your needs in terms of style, location, and cost. But beware of plans that require you to pay in advance; it's better to set aside your own fund to cover funeral goods and services.