Our Policies

Policies of our Funeral Home

On behalf of all of our staff we extend our deepest condolences on the loss of your loved one. In order to avoid any embarrassment or misunderstandings in respect to funeral arrangements, pricing and other concerns we have created the following policies to respectfully handle any situations that may arise as a result. Please read over these policies, If you are unsure of something please ask for clarification. 

Please note theses policies are updated from time to time and may vary slightly from the most current printed copy you will receive and sign.

Financial Policies

• We are a NO HAGLE PRICING funeral home, our prices is our prices.
  
• If you can’t afford what you want you may: Take the option you can afford, apply for financing, or ask family, friends or charity for funds. 
  
• Any goodwill gestures to aide families with cost of services/merchandise is at the sole discretion of the funeral director and/or owner based upon their assessment/opinion ONLY.
  
• Goodwill gestures that are asked to be modified in any way to change the value of the offering by the funeral home will be immediately rescinded and it shall be assumed that no help is needed.
  
• If for any reason you would choose to transfer the care of your loved one to another funeral establishment once we are in possession of the body; you will be responsible for the non-declinable basic services of funeral director and staff charge (as designated by FTC Funeral Rule) which is currently $2,280.00 plus transfer of remains fees. In addition any other services or merchandise provided up until that time will also be your financial responsibility.
  
• Purchasing a casket or alternative container from any source other than our funeral home precludes you from receiving discounted package pricing for our services and or offerings.
  

Arrangements & Right of Disposition Policies

• While we appreciate family and friends whom come to the arrangement conference to support/guide we cannot take ANY direction from anyone other than the person with the right of disposition, and therefore do not respond to phone calls, emails or in person enquiries or questions regarding specifics of arrangements, or pricing regarding specific arrangements for your loved one unless said party is directly involved in paying the bill and communications is limited only to paying the bill. 
  
• Right of disposition is very clear and specific in the law in regards to who can make funeral arrangements, that said Powers of Attorney end at death (unless specific clauses are made within document in respect to funeral arrangements) and executors/executrix are not appointed until you go before a judge to probate the will (which occurs after the funeral arrangements are made). Therefore nether Powers of Attorney’s or executors can make decisions based solely on these designations alone.
  
• If there is more than one person entitled to the right of disposition, while we want everyone to communicate, we’d ask to have a dedicated point of contact to streamline communications.
  
• Arrangements must be made and finalized within 48 hours of the death or receipt of the remains (whichever comes first); If no decisions are made and payment is not received by this establishment at time of service (or other agreed time at owner’s discretion) the body of the deceased will be sent to the Indigent/Unclaimed Remains authority for the respective state where the death occurred, additional fees will be incurred by the family to retrieve the deceased, if for some reason this cannot occur storage fees will be incurred until a resolution is reached.
  
• If there is a dispute regarding persons entitled to right of disposition or dispute regarding arrangements, the deceased will be transferred to the unclaimed/indigent remains authority, if for some reason this cannot occur storage fees will be incurred until a resolution is reached.
  
• No funeral services, viewings, memorial services, cremations, interments, transfers, shipping, or any other services of any kind will be scheduled until the funeral bill is paid in full.
  
• No obituaries will be published in any newspaper or website until the funeral bill is paid in full.
  
• This funeral home does not extend cash advances (funds on your behalf that is not for our goods/services) for any cemetery expenses (plots, opening/closes), newspaper notices, death certificates, and extends all other cash advances as a courtesy at our discretion. (Exceptions may be owner’s discretion).
  

Embalming Policy

While embalming is not required by law except for certain special cases, it is our policy as a funeral establishment as permitted by law that all human remains being displayed for public viewing be embalmed for public health and liability reasons. Permission to embalm will be requested in verbal and written form.

Containment of Remains Policy

Black’s Funeral Home retains the right to contain remains via bio seal, zeigler case, or sealed casket and if necessary embalm and/or refrigerate the affected remains  (either in full or in part) that pose a health risk to the public at large, our staff, our facilities and the property of others. These health risk can include: infectious or contagious diseases, decomposition, infestation by vermin or insects, offensive odor, leaking fluids, delayed disposition, and any other situation that Black’s Funeral Home deems these precautions necessary. If embalming is deemed necessary by Black’s Funeral Home for health reasons mentioned above the legal next of kin will be required to sign an embalming authorization. Any containment or embalming of the remains may be add additional cost to the services selected, and will be the financial responsibility of the family.

Photography Policy

Black’s Funeral Home may take photos of the deceased to document the condition of the body prior to or post embalming, for identification, and for uses as follows: legal defense in civil or regulatory litigation, evidence in criminal proceedings (if requested via warrant), internal recordkeeping, and professional education of morticians and allied professionals. At no time will these photographs be made available to the general public without the expressed written consent of the person with legal right of disposition.

Obituary/Death Notice Policy

Any obituary or death notice published on behalf of a family by our funeral home must contain the following: our funeral home name, our website and if available our logo. The cost of the obituary is paid in full by the family.