The subject of your funeral is probably not a pleasant subject, but it is something to consider in your estate planning. Some families end up in conflict with the funeral home that has the body of their loved one, which only adds to their stress and grief.
To help your family avoid the pain of a funeral that goes wrong, consider the following steps to find the proper funeral home.
Check for customer reviews
A funeral home should have reviews from other families, so these can be a good place to look for feedback. If the funeral home has rendered poor service, you might find out about it through complaints to the state licensing agency and the Better Business Bureau. Local community records may also tell you about any lawsuits against the home.
Speak with the funeral home staff
When interacting with employees from the funeral home, they should offer you a selection of funeral services to look at before you make any commitments. If the funeral home staff is not forthcoming about their options and try to force a choice on you or your family, the home might be unreliable.
Allow for a funeral home change
Even if you have picked a funeral home and drafted funeral instructions for your family, your loved ones may need to change the home after you die. Your selected home could have gone out of business or has experienced a serious scandal. Naming backup options may spare your family the need for a new funeral home search.
With proper due diligence and some advance planning, you could help your family avoid the stress of a botched funeral.