After a death is pronounced, you choose how the body will be cared for, by selecting a funeral home or crematory, activating a body or organ donation plan, and arranging transport of the body from the place of death. This is one of the first practical decisions, and you have more time and more choices than funeral providers sometimes suggest. Knowing your options and your legal rights helps you make a calm, informed decision rather than a pressured one. This guide explains the steps and what to watch for.
A note before you start: check first whether the person left pre-arranged plans or written wishes, which simplify everything that follows.
Step 1: Check for existing wishes or pre-arrangements
Before choosing a provider, look for any pre-need funeral contract, written wishes, or instructions the person left, and check whether they registered as an organ or whole-body donor. Many people record these in an advance directive, an estate plan, or with a specific funeral home or donation program. Honoring an existing plan saves money and decisions, and it ensures the person’s preferences are followed.
Step 2: Decide on the disposition path
The main paths for care of the body are burial, cremation, and donation, and each has different timing and cost. Burial typically involves a funeral home, a casket, and a cemetery plot. Cremation is generally less expensive and offers flexibility in timing and memorialization. Whole-body donation to a medical school or accredited program, and organ donation for transplant, are separate paths that must usually be arranged quickly and through specific programs. If the person wished to donate, contact the relevant program right away, since donation is time-sensitive.
Step 3: Choose a funeral home or crematory
If you are using a funeral home or crematory, you can and should compare providers, even now. You are not required to use the first one you call or the one that transported the body. When comparing, ask each provider for its General Price List, which it must give you, and choose only the goods and services you want. There is no need to decide on every detail of a service at this stage; the immediate decision is simply which provider will take the body into its care.
Step 4: Arrange transport of the body
The body needs to be transported from the place of death to the provider. A funeral home or crematory will handle this once you engage them, and in hospice or hospital settings the staff will coordinate timing with your chosen provider. There is usually no need to rush this step in the very first hour, particularly under hospice care, where families are often encouraged to take time with the person before transport.
Know your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule
Federal law protects you throughout this process. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, a funeral home must give you a General Price List itemizing every good and service, must let you buy only what you want rather than a package, must let you supply a casket or urn bought elsewhere without charging a handling fee, and must quote prices over the phone. These rights let you make a clear-eyed decision and avoid paying for items you do not need, even while grieving.
A care-of-the-body checklist
- Check for pre-arranged plans, written wishes, and donor registration.
- Decide on burial, cremation, or donation.
- If donating, contact the program immediately, since it is time-sensitive.
- Choose a funeral home or crematory, comparing where you can.
- Request the itemized General Price List and select only what you want.
- Arrange transport through your chosen provider.
Frequently asked questions
What do you do with the body immediately after someone dies? After the death is pronounced, arrange for a funeral home, crematory, or donation program to take the body into its care and transport it. Under hospice care, you can usually take time with the person first. Check for any pre-arranged plans before choosing a provider.
Do I have to use the funeral home that transported the body? No. You are free to choose any provider, and the FTC Funeral Rule gives you the right to an itemized price list and to buy only the goods and services you want. You can compare providers even after a death.
How quickly do I need to decide on burial or cremation? You generally have some time to decide on the type of service, though the body does need to be moved into professional care within a reasonable period. Donation, if chosen, is the most time-sensitive and should be arranged immediately.
How does whole-body or organ donation affect care of the body? Organ donation for transplant happens under specific medical conditions soon after death, and whole-body donation requires arranging transport to the program quickly. Both should be set in motion right away if the person wished to donate, and they affect the timing and options for any service.
Let Otherside guide care of the body
Choosing a provider and understanding your options under pressure is hard. Otherside offers a vetted provider directory with transparent pricing, pre-need wishes lookup, and coordination of transport, so this decision is calm and informed. See how Otherside helps.
Sources
This article is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. Procedures and options vary by state and provider. Otherside provides coordination; regulated funeral services are delivered by licensed third-party providers.
