No one wants to be placed in the position of having to plan a funeral at a moment’s notice. It is an unfortunate and sensitive circumstance that families and friends endure when a cherished life ends. When it comes to pre-planning a funeral, having helpful resources can take a lot of the pressure and anxiety away.
For help and support, scroll down to review a basic check list for arranging a funeral at the last minute, as well as how to pursue legal action if you lost your loved one due to negligence in a wrongful death accident in Indiana.
Guide to Planning a Loved One’s Funeral
Decide Between Burial or Cremation
Your first step is to decide on your loved one’s final resting place. This includes choosing between burial and cremation. From there, you will be faced with related decisions, such as casket or urn selection, burial plot or memorial location selection, and whether you want to use funeral home services. If you do not wish to use a funeral home, you can take this time to choose a cemetery or memorial location.
Choose a Funeral Home
After writing an obituary, you will need to choose a funeral home to facilitate the rest of the proceedings. Choose a funeral home that has years of experience and well established in their community. If budget is an issue, typically family and locally owned funeral homes are more economically priced and will give you a better over-all deal with the same focused and professional service.
Once you have chosen a funeral home or final resting place, all you have to do is assist the funeral directors in completing the planning process. You will need to choose a casket or urn, flower arrangements, burial location, and figure out a way to inform the rest of the family about the date and time of the funeral service. An accommodating funeral home will assist you with all these decisions and tasks.
Write an Obituary
Get together with family and close friends to collect personal information about the deceased. Typically, people like to include the name, date of birth, birthplace, and the names of the bereaved. This part is decided upon by the family and closest people to the person who has passed. You can make an obituary as original or general as you see fit. Other topics to discuss in an obituary are vocations, the persons’ character, accomplishments, and any other special descriptions. When complete, you will need to submit obituary to appropriate newspaper or publication. Your funeral director can do this step for you if you have chosen to work with one.
Extended Funeral Planning Checklist:
☑ Acquire any last requests relating to funeral arrangements left behind by the deceased.
☑ Choose the resting attire for the deceased (for caskets only).
☑ Select music and literature for service ceremony.
☑ Arrange funeral transportation if necessary (clergy car, limousine, funeral coach, etc.).
☑ Hire an officiator and pallbearers (if needed).
☑ Appoint someone to read the eulogy (or write one on your own).
Are You the Survivor of the Wrongful Death of a Loved One?
Losing a loved one is always a painful experience and loss. Losing a loved one due to another person’s lack of using reasonable care is exponentially more painful because your loss should not have happened. If your family has recently experienced a wrongful death, quickly hire a reputable and licensed Indiana wrongful death attorney to represent you. It is very important to outsource professional legal counsel following a wrongful death. Spouses and immediate next of kin may be entitled to a settlement for economic and noneconomic damages like medical expenses, hospital bills, lost wages, loss of love and care, loss of consortium, loss of social security benefits, and more.
Was your loved one wrongfully killed in an accident in Indiana? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced Indianapolis IN wrongful death lawyer you can trust. We represent clients throughout the State of Indiana.
Related Posts:
How to Cope With the Planning of a Loved One’s Funeral
Facts About Making a Wrongful Death Claim in Indiana
What is a Loss of Consortium Claim?
