After a loss

Do you need a funeral home? Other options families use

In most states, a funeral home is a choice, not a requirement.

Many people assume a funeral home is legally required after a death. In most states it isn't. Families can usually handle the arrangements themselves, or use a provider that offers only the parts they need. A few states do require a licensed funeral director for certain steps, such as filing the death certificate or moving the body.

Options families use

• Direct cremation providers. Many work mostly online or by phone and handle only the transfer, paperwork and cremation, often for much less than a full-service funeral home.
• Body donation. Medical schools and some programs accept donated bodies for education and research. Many cover transport and cremation, and return the ashes later. Most require registration in advance, and they can decline a donation.
• Home funerals. The family cares for the person at home for a day or two and handles the paperwork themselves, sometimes with help from a home funeral guide. State rules on permits and timing apply.
• Green or natural burial. No embalming, a simple shroud or biodegradable casket, in a natural burial ground or a section of a conventional cemetery.
• Memorial service only. A simple cremation or burial first, then a gathering later, wherever and whenever the family likes.

Things to know

• A death certificate still has to be filed, and a permit is usually needed to move or cremate a body. Families handling it themselves deal with these directly.
• If the death is unexpected, a medical examiner or coroner may need to be involved first.
• Cemeteries can set their own rules, such as requiring a burial vault, even if state law doesn't.