There is no law requiring a casket for burial or cremation. In fact, funeral homes and crematoria are required by federal law to inform you that you can use another container for the cremation process. You are also required to provide the alternative container to your request. Federal law requires funeral directors to accept consumer-provided caskets and urns. Coping with grief is an extremely stressful time, especially if you are responsible for the funeral. This article is designed to walk you through the process of planning/arranging a Florida burial or cremation and hopefully answer many basic questions you may have. Unfortunately, more and more families find themselves in such a situation. The reality is that there is very little public or government support for funeral expenses. The state deals with all indigent dead (as is their responsibility), but this is done through the burial or cremation of an indigent.

Social Security offers a death benefit payment of $255 (if eligible), and the funeral director will usually help you apply for this benefit. For more instructions, read our article “What should I do if I can`t afford a funeral”? Rules and regulations, whether federal law, state law, or county restrictions, can become confusing and change over time. When a loved one dies, it`s important to have someone who knows these laws and is aware of the changes and options. At Cremations of Greater Tampa Bay, we`re here to help you get through this difficult time, understand all your options, and be as relaxed as possible. But while cremation is not strictly regulated in some areas, there are existing laws that must be followed in order to legally proceed with the cremation process. The physician must be willing to work with the family rather than a licensed funeral director; Cemetery lots and burial vaults can add significant additional costs to a burial, with a cemetery lot in Florida costing between $600 and $3,000. Florida law doesn`t require you to buy a grave, although some cemeteries may insist on it. You should note that a cemetery company cannot force you to buy a safe or row of graves from their business.

It is recommended that you carefully review cemetery regulations before committing to cemetery property. If you are planning a home funeral with a CPAC funeral, please call us at 352-317-7307 to discuss your situation. Every circumstance is different, and we will help and lead to the best of our ability. CPAC has helped many people learn about the legal framework for a home burial. There are also a number of organizations and resources available to you, including: Similarly, a headstone does not need to be purchased at the time of burial. As a rule, cemeteries do not allow the erection of a memorial stone until a few months after the funeral. This gives the ground the opportunity to calm down and avoid a possible sinking of the monument. Therefore, you will have time to look around without feeling that you need to commit to a marker when preparing for the funeral. Check out our “Tombstones” section for a much more detailed overview of buying and erecting a memorial. A coffin is NOT required by law for cremation. All that is needed is a suitable rigid container. A cremation container is usually a reinforced cardboard box or a plywood box.

If you want to arrange a funeral service before cremation, some funeral homes offer rental coffins. If you need more information about the funeral industry in Florida, please contact: Florida law allows buried human remains to be moved by a licensed funeral director with a valid funeral transit permit. See Section 497.384, Florida Statutes, for the exact wording regarding the burial, transportation and reburial of human remains. Sometimes graves are moved from inactive or abandoned cemeteries or before the construction of public works projects such as roads when avoidance is not possible. The relocation of graves is often controversial and usually involves the permission of descendants. Contact a licensed funeral director for more information on moving graves. Neither the coroner nor the state archaeologist has the authority or responsibility to “clean up” a proposed project that could disturb human remains or move unmarked graves. The starting point for the proper treatment and protection of human burials is state law.

In Florida, a number of laws deal with authorities and responsibilities relating to cemeteries, graves and human remains. These laws reflect society`s strong commitment to respect and protect the final resting places of all people, regardless of culture, religion, race, gender or duration of burial. All human remains enjoy the same protection under the law. A home funeral occurs when family or friends take care of their deceased loved one, usually at home. Instead of renting a funeral home, family and friends do everything, including cooling the body, transporting the body to the cemetery, and completing the formalities imposed by the state. They are also sometimes called family funerals. If there are certain tasks that family and friends prefer not to do themselves, a funeral home may be willing to take advantage of these services. If you need more information about shipping a loved one to or from Florida, please visit our Funeral Shipping page.

If you choose to use the services of a funeral director, you will need to choose a funeral service provider you want to work with. He will be able to guide you through the next steps once they have the deceased in their care.