When a loved one dies, grieving family members are left with countless decisions to make about the funeral – all of which need to be made quickly. These include:

• What kind of funeral should it be?

• Which funeral home should we use?

• How much should we spend?

• Is there anything we need to buy besides a casket?

Every year, thousands of Americans struggle with these decisions and need help with funeral costs. It’s common for people to wonder where to start.

A good first step is understanding what your rights are when it comes to funeral expenses and other burial costs.

Laws regarding funerals and burials vary from state to state and understanding them can be daunting. Knowing and understanding all of your options will help reduce the stress of funeral planning and protect your rights when interacting with funeral homes. Learn more about what to do when a loved one dies.

Below is a quick list of rights and funeral planning tips that can help you with funeral expenses.

 The Funeral Rule

The Funeral Rule was introduced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prevent funeral homes from pressuring people into buying goods and services they didn’t want or need, and from charging inflated prices for the items they did want.

The goal of this rule is to help consumers know their rights when it comes to funeral home costs. The Funeral Rule gives consumers the right to:

• Buy only the goods and services you want. Some funeral home providers offer package deals that may include goods and services you don’t want or need. You are not obligated to purchase any funeral package that contains items you don’t want.

• Receive pricing information by telephone. By law, funeral homes must provide pricing information for their products and services if you request it. You are not obligated to give any personal information to obtain funeral home costs.

• Receive an itemized statement of goods and services. The funeral provider must give what’s called a General Price List (GPL) that is yours to keep. It lists the individual costs of all the items and services they offer.

• See a casket price list. Funeral homes are required to show a dated, printed list of casket prices that includes containers not displayed. Often, only certain caskets are put on display in funeral showrooms (usually the best they have to offer). The printed list is intended to show you selections that may not be on display.

• See a written price list for outer burial containers. Outer burial containers (also called grave liners) surround a casket once it’s been placed in the ground. There are no state laws requiring burial containers, but many cemeteries require them to prevent a grave from caving in. Your funeral home may or may not sell such containers. If they do, it may be listed on their GPL. If it is not listed, you have the right to request a separate price list for the container.

• Receive a written statement after you’ve decided what you want and before you pay. The statement should provide a detailed overview of what is being purchased and the exact cost of each service. It should itemize each cost and provide a total. It must also inform you of any cemetery or crematory requirements that may cost additional money.

• Use an alternative container for cremation. No law requires you to use a casket for cremation. If a funeral home offers cremation services, they are required to inform you that alternative containers are available. Learn more about cremation cost information and urn costs.

• Provide your own casket or urn. By law, a funeral provider can’t refuse a casket or urn bought from an outside source. They also can’t charge a handling fee. You are not required to be present when the casket or urn is delivered to the funeral home.

• Make funeral arrangements without embalming. No state law requires embalming for every death. Some states may require embalming or refrigeration of the body if it is not buried or cremated within a certain period of time. Refrigeration is often an acceptable alternative to embalming. Services such as direct cremation and immediate burial don’t require embalming. A funeral home can’t embalm a body without your consent.