Last minute funeral arrangements are the last thing you'd wish for your family.

From Lynch and Sons Funeral Directors website:

The presence of the dead human body for visitation and funeral services provides a focal point for all of the changes -- social, emotional, spiritual and practical -- that a funeral service seeks to observe. In a sense, the best way to deal with a death is by dealing with the dead -- confronting the loss, honoring the memory, addressing the religious and spiritual beliefs and disposing of the dead body properly. For some families, the…

Did you know that many funeral homes in the Raleigh metropolitan area belong to publicly traded corporations?

These include Montlawn and McLaurin, Brown-Wynne, Raleigh Memorial Park, Apex, and Mitchell funeral homes. Though firms like Brown-Wynne may say they have been serving the community over 100 years, they no longer are privately owned. Because they have a large corporate structure to support, their prices are necessarily higher than the independent locally owned firms. If you…

Key points about paying for your funeral in advance.

North Carolina laws are aimed at protecting the funeral consumer:

All pre-need funeral contracts are required to be filed with the state board of funeral service. The current filing fee is $20 paid by the purchaser. With this registration the board provides the purchaser with a guarantee of performance.

Funeral homes are only allowed to collect money for services and merchandise when they are provided. Pre-need…

As more people are asking about cremation, I thought I would list the requirements for cremation here in North Carloina:

1. A death certificate must be signed by the doctor or medical examiner who is certifying the cause of death.

2. A 24 hour waiting period must be observed.

3. Proper authorization must be given either by next of kin or by a pre-signed self-authorization on file with a funeral home.

4. Identification of the deceased must be confirmed for both the…

I have often been questioned about the cost of funeral services. And I'd like to explain. First, consider that like attorneys, accountants, and doctors; we perform a professional service. Funeral directors must complete specialized training and education and pass a national board examination in addition to a state exam in order to obtain a license. Additional requirements include providing witness statements attesting to one's good moral character.

Every funeral home in the United…