 | At Tate Mortuary, we feel that we can best serve families by providing as much information as possible regarding decisions that are necessary in the event of a death. In this four-part series, we will give some background information about Utah law regarding those who care for the dead; discuss embalming and other care of the dead, and the different types of available disposition; the costs involved in providing funerals and funeral merchandise, burial and/or cremation, as well as cemetery charges related to the purchase of property and the preparation of a grave for burial.
We will also answer some commonly asked questions regarding the prepayment of funeral goods and services, which is referred to as pre-need funeral planning. It is our hope that this series will provide information you may need during the purchase of funeral services for a loved one, either before or after death. We will give the opinions of our funeral home and staff regarding certain practices that have been recently introduced into Utah. While many of these practices are not commonplace, they are present, and our intent is to inform you of their existence.
We would also like to make it clear that there are many fine, dedicated and caring funeral professionals who share our concerns. Nothing said here is meant to disparage these fine men and women, and the funeral homes they represent.
Prior to 1991, funeral service laws in Utah required the presence of a licensed funeral service director during virtually all aspects of a funeral. A license was required to embalm, and to arrange for and be present at the funeral service and related ceremonies. In 1991 many of these requirements were reduced or eliminated. Utah funeral service laws no longer requires the funeral home employee to have a license to arrange for the funeral service and sell funeral merchandise.
There is a two-fold reason for providing this information. First, when you enter a funeral home, you may or may not talk to or work with a licensed funeral service director. Second, some funeral counselors or arrangers may be compensated on a commission basis.
In our opinion, this has unfortunately led to an emerging trend by counselors or arrangers to sell funeral goods and services for the deceased |
