Are You the Responsible Family Member?

Are You The Responsible Family Member?

We’ve seen it happen time and again. The person making the initial call to our funeral home turns out not to be the one with the legal responsibilities of making decisions related to the care of a loved one. While they may feel that they should be the one to make these choices, the law doesn’t recognize them as such – and so their voice can become effectively silenced.

If the deceased has not expressed their wishes through a written document such as a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, or a Last Will and Testament, where the deceased has designated an agent to fulfill their wishes; then the chain of command, formally called the “order of precedence”, is commonly as follows:
  • Legal Spouse/Partner
  • Surviving Adult Child/Children
  • Surviving Parent
  • Surviving Adult Sibling
  • Ex-Spouse
  • Parent of Minor Child
The person designated as the responsible party, whoever they may be, needs to be present to make decisions, and sign documents. If you are unclear as to who is the responsible person in planning a funeral for your loved one, call us.

The Critical Importance of Designating a Representative


If your loved one has not specified who they wish to be in control of their funeral service planning, and they are able  to do so, now is the perfect time to Have the Talk Of A Lifetime.

It is important that your loved one appoints someone that will ensure that their final wishes are honored. Often people will designate a friend if they feel that their relatives will not respect their funeral planning wishes or if they do not have any living relatives. 

Your loved one can designate who they would like to assign to completing an Advance Health Care Directive.
Download Advance Care Directive Form
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