Direct Funeral
Direct funeral expenses involve (but are not restricted to) the direct payment of the funeral expense by the family to the funeral home. To this end, all costs must be paid for in advance. The advance payment is normally made on a weekly basis. All costs must be paid within sixty days of the death. For payment of this advantage, all payments must be made direct from the family to the funeral home.
Another advantage of direct funeral cost is that there is no interference with the family’s decision regarding the type of funeral they would prefer. If the family desires to have a traditional funeral service with the viewing of a funeral provider or other funeral provider, the direct cost for such services is not required. Conversely, if the family desires a non-traditional funeral service with no religious ceremony, the direct funeral cost will have to be met. Also, if the service is held at a chapel, the cost would need to include salaries and wages of personnel to cover their operating costs, which would likely reduce the Direct Funeral cost.
If there are no advance funeral expenses, the cost of the burial service can be kept as low as possible, and only those necessities that really are necessary can be included. Burial expenses are limited to the payment of embalming or creaming, the payment of embalming fluid, and the disposal of embalming material. This means that all tangible goods that were left with the deceased prior to his death will be paid for by the funeral home.
Direct Funeral Cost & Price List
Payments may also need to include income protection cover for survivors or beneficiaries if any. Also, all gifts received by the family for the deceased will need to be paid for in full. Unless the family establishes an account where all monies received will be held, the money will need to be contributed weekly by the family, or alternatively a separate weekly payment can be made to the estate. This payment should be made to the attorney who is making the payment on behalf of the beneficiary/owners of the assets who are entitled to the weekly payments.
There are various reasons why families opt to have a direct burial instead of cremation. In these instances the financial burden on family members is significantly less than if the body was cremated. For example, direct burial allows families to pay all expenses directly, including embalming, cremation and cemetery fees. This has the additional benefit of providing tax advantages. Some people who opt for direct burial have their remains sent to a place of burial within the family.
However, direct burial does come with a number of disadvantages. For example, the funeral home will be responsible for all embalming, regardless of whether they are paid for under the direct funeral plan or not. The family will also be responsible for paying all taxes (either the federal or state ones) associated with the deceased’s life, as these taxes will still accrue even after the direct funeral has been paid. People also choose direct burial for the convenience it provides, which is why many people choose to have it done after their death. This gives them piece of mind that all financial burdens are no longer theirs to bear, whether they die earlier or much later.
