Mortician Service

Published: 05/24/2010 by Funeral Home Resource Team

You are not legally obligated to work with a Mortician Service, but most people find it easier to have a professional help them deal with the logistics surrounding a death.

A mortician will walk you through the entire funeral procedure. morticians can help procure copies of the deceased's death certificate, write an obituary, help you follow religious observances, contact social security, make arrangements with a crematorium, etc. The Mortician Service is where the body is prepared and is often times the site of the actual funeral service.

Unless you've made arrangements beforehand, you will probably be forced to choose a Mortician Service quickly and under great emotional duress. Hopefully, you will be able to get a recommendation from a trusted friend or clergy member. Whether you are working with a recommended mortuary or not, it's crucial that you understand your rights when entering into a relationship with a Mortician Service.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the nation's consumer protection agency and enforcer of the Funeral Rule. The Funeral Rule allows consumers to compare prices between Mortician Services and select which of the home's services you wish to use without being pressured into buying a "package" of any kind.


1. Buy Only the Funeral Arrangements You Want: You do not have to purchase a "package" of goods and services from a Mortician Service. You can purchase funeral goods, such as a casket, from an outside vendor, and the Mortician Service has to use it. You can pay for a memorial service and direct burial, but not embalming. It's up to you.
2. Get Prices on the Phone: morticians must give you pricing information on the phone if you ask for it. This makes comparing prices between multiple providers much easier. The mortuary cannot demand your name, address or phone number before giving you the prices.
3. Get a Written, Itemized Price List: If asked, Mortician Services must give you a General Price List, an itemized list of all the services and merchandise sold by the home with their associated costs. If a service you have to pay for is required by law, the Mortician Service must give you a written explanation of the law or crematory requirements before charging you.
4. Get a Written Casket Price List Before Seeing the Caskets: Caskets are expensive, and less scrupulous Mortician Services will pressure you into buying the most elaborate one. They often won't display cheaper caskets on the sales floor. This is why you should ask to see a price list before looking at the display.
5. Receive a Written Statement Before You Pay: Once you've decided on the goods and services you'll be utilizing, the Mortician Service must provide you with a list of the items you've chosen and the total cost of the arrangements.
6. Use an Alternative Container for Cremation: According to the FTC, no state or local law requires you to use a casket for cremation. Mortician Services and crematoriums must provide alternative containers made of pressed wood, fiberboard or cardboard for the cremation process. They also cannot require you to buy an urn from them. You can bring in your own container for the remains.
7. Make Funeral Arrangements Without Embalming: According to the FTC, no state law requires embalming. Some states do require that a body be embalmed or refrigerated if it is not buried or cremated in a certain amount of time. Refrigeration is a cheaper and acceptable alternative to embalming if you are having a closed casket funeral.



The FTC provides a printable checklist to have with you when you call Mortician Services to ask for prices. They recommend that you take the following items and services into consideration:

Disposition of Remains Costs:
o Immediate Burial
o Immediate Cremation
o Donation of Body to Medical School or Hospital
Traditional Full Service Burial or Cremation Costs:
o Basic Services Fee
o Pickup of Body
o Embalming
o Other Body Preparation Costs
o Least Expensive Casket
o Visitation/Viewing Staff and Facilities
o Funeral or Memorial Service Staff and Facilities
o Graveside Service Staff and Equipment
o Hearse
Other Services:
o Forwarding Body to Another Mortician Service
o Receiving Body to Another Mortician Service
Cemetery-Related Costs:
o Cost of Cemetery Plot or Crypt
o Perpetual Care
o Opening and Closing of Grave or Crypt
o Grave Liner or Burial Vault (Required by cemeteries to prevent the ground from sinking after the burial.)
o Marker or Monument