Factors To Consider When Arranging A Funeral

If you recently lost a loved one, then you might be in charge of arranging a funeral. On top of that, this can be a pretty complicated responsibility that requires consideration of many factors, such as the following:

Cost

In many cases, the biggest thing you have to worry about is money. If your loved one did not have life insurance and if there is no impending wrongful death lawsuit regarding them, then you probably have to pay out of pocket for many of the expenses. Opting for a cremation instead of a burial or opting out of a viewing before a burial can reduce your expenditures drastically.

If they did have life insurance, then that policy might pay for some fraction of the funeral or might pay a flat fee up to some maximum cap. As long as you keep the funeral cost within those boundaries, you will feel a lot less financial strain.

Similarly, a successful wrongful death lawsuit can mitigate all the costs of a funeral. However, you will probably be arranging the funeral long before the lawsuit is actually completed. But according to findlaw.com, you can find some relief knowing that these pecuniary damages can still be claimed even after the funeral happens. Talk with a place like Fletcher Funeral Home PA to see how you can mitigate the costs.

Type of Funeral

You will need to decide whether the body should be cremated or buried, and both have their advantages and disadvantages. In many cases, the deceased will include such desires in their will, but if they don't, you might be forced to decide between the two.

• Burial - Burials are typically more expensive than funerals and take a lot longer. You'll need to pay for the display of body for the wake, a rental viewing casket, a permanent casket, and the actual burial process. It does allow a certain sense of spirituality if you have particular concerns about the preservation of the body or if you have a family plot. If family members didn't get a chance to say goodbye, a wake may be a good option for closure.
• Cremation - Cremation is faster, more versatile, and cheaper than burials. In fact, moneytalkscoaching.com says that cremation can be as low as $1,000 while standard burial starts at about $5,000. You can store the ashes in an urn at a family crypt or in someone's home. On the other hand, you have the option of scattering the ashes at a location that the deceased had a particular connection to.