===Are the deceased’s wishes binding?===
{{PLSExamplebox
| text = In her will, Mavis asked that her cremated remains be scattered over a local pond. Her children wanted to bury Mavis’ ashes beside her husband, who died two years before. But by law, because Mavis had set out a preference in her will, and it wasn’t unreasonable or impracticable, those wishes had to be honoured. After the funeral service, the children gathered to scatter Mavis’ ashes over the pond, as she had wished.
}}
Where a will or “preneed cemetery or funeral services contract” sets out the deceased’s wishes for burial or cremation, those wishes are binding on the person arranging the funeral. The exception is if the wishes are unreasonable or impracticable or cause hardship. If the deceased expressed a preference in another way, such as through a letter or by telling a loved one, then those wishes are not legally binding on the person arranging the funeral.
===If cremation is chosen===
Because cremation is irreversible and ends any ability to determine cause of death, cremation cannot take place until 48 hours has passed after the time of death.
The cremated remains are returned to the person with responsibility to arrange the funeral. As long as the ashes are treated with respect, the law does not limit what you can do with them. You can keep the ashes in an urn of your choice, bury them in a cemetery plot, or scatter them.
{{PLSTipsbox
| text = There are no provincial regulations that prohibit the scattering of cremated remains on land, sea or by air. Ashes can generally be scattered anywhere, but if you wish to scatter ashes on private land you should get consent from the landowner.
}}
===If burial is chosen===
There is no law stating a specific time-frame for burial. The timeline is usually determined by the need to secure all permits and authorizations, notify family and friends, prepare the cemetery site, and observe religious and cultural rituals.
{{PLSTipsbox
| text = The funeral home may suggest embalming, particularly if an open casket is planned or there is a delay between the death and the burial. Embalming involves using chemicals to prevent the body from decomposing. Embalming is not required by BC law.
}}
==The funeral service==
Funerals can celebrate the life of the deceased, provide comfort for the living, and offer a time for the community to support the bereaved family and friends.
In planning the funeral service, consider:
* Location: Common options include a funeral home, a church, a community facility, your home, or the home of a friend or relative.
* Type of service: Options include a graveside service (in which the urn or casket is buried), a memorial service or celebration of life (services without a burial), or a direct cremation or burial (a disposition without a formal ceremony).
* Urn or marker: If there is to be an urn or a grave marker such as a headstone, do you want to display it at the service? Ideally, the service will reflect the lifestyle and personality of your deceased loved one.
==Funeral costs==
When you meet with the funeral home to make the arrangements, make sure you know what you are purchasing and consider whether it really is what you want. While some services offered by funeral homes are legal requirements, such as registering the death, other services are optional, such as embalming or a memorial book.
Prices for funeral services vary widely. All funeral providers must display a current price list of the services and products they offer. If you ask for prices over the phone, they must provide them to you.
LegallyThe funeral home should provide a written estimate of the cost of the funeral, but the person named in the final bill may be higher. The bill will as cover the executor costs of burial or cremation, the person’s estate has the responsibility fees for dealing with the body funeral service, and arranging the professional services of the funeraldirector. If there is no executorThere will also be charges for any extras you requested, then the next-of-kin is responsiblesuch as flowers or catering.
If you wish ===Paying the funeral costs===The person who arranges the funeral is responsible for paying the bill. It is important to know who within where the family has priority as next-of-kin, after money for the executor or <span class="noglossary">spouse</span>funeral will come from. Your deceased loved one may have made a preneed contract, there is a list paying for their funeral in the ''[http://canliiadvance. Check their personal papers to see if they did so.ca/t/84mx CremationIf they did, Interment and Funeral Services Act]''. See this should cover the whole cost of the "[[Helpful Information When a Family Member Dies |Helpful Information]]" sectionfuneral.
The If you ask the funeral home for an invoice, you can take it to the financial institution where the deceased did their banking. Most banks will may have <span class="noglossary">instructions</span> about pay the disposition of funeral home directly from the bodydeceased’s account. The law says bank may wish to see a copy of the death certificate and the will, if there are written wishes, you should follow them unless the wishes are unreasonable, impossible to follow, or would cause hardshipis one.
You may choose to hold a service or memorial in a manner and in a place that reflects {{PLSTipsbox| text = If you pay the lifestyle and personality funeral home’s bill out of your deceased family memberpocket, you must wait until the estate is settled to receive reimbursement. }}
There <span class="noglossary">will</span> If the deceased served in the military and meets the financial criteria, you may be many details able to finalize about get help with funeral expenses from the funeral or memorial serviceLast Post Fund. You may wish This national non-profit organization provides grants to use the online information provided by spouse or family of a qualifying veteran toward funeral and burial expenses when the [http://wwwestate cannot afford to pay.bcfunerals.com Funeral Service Association of BC]If the deceased was a child, some funeral homes have a compassionate policy for child deaths.
By law, The BC government may assist when a deceased person must be buried or cremateddies and there is no money to pay for funeral expenses. The body must be placed in a rigid container or casket that This is sufficient available to hold and transport the body and to prevent a health hazardanyone with low income in BC who has no other funds, even if they are not on income assistance. The casket or container could be homemade; it does not have to be provided by a funeral homeCall 1-866-866-0800.
There is no law that states a specific time-frame for burial. ===Cemetery costs===The timeline is usually determined by cost of the need to secure all permits and authorizations, notify family and friends, prepare funeral service does not include the cost of a cemetery sitelot or a memorial marker (for example, and observe religious and cultural ritualsa headstone or plaque). You must arrange for these separately.
==Cremation==Because cremation is an irreversible process and eliminates any ability to determine cause of deathBefore purchasing a memorial marker, 48 hours must elapse after make sure it meets the time requirements of death before cremation may take placethe cemetery selected. Most memorial dealers can tell you the requirements for local cemeteries.
The cremated remains are returned to the executor or person who has the legal authority to control the disposition of the cremated remains. As long as the cremated remains are treated with respect, the law does not limit what If you can do with them. You can scatter the remains, keep them at home, take them overseas, put them in have a garden on private propertycomplaint All funeral homes, or inter them in a cemetery. If permitted by municipal bylaws, the remains can be scattered on <span class="noglossary">land</span>, sea, or air or in any place that has personal meaning. The BC Funeral Association has information about cremation on their website in the section on "[http://www.bcfunerals.com/public-when-death-occurs/burial-or-cremation Burial or Cremation]." == Funeral and cemetery costs == In British Columbia, funerals and cemeteries are regulated under two laws. The ''[http://canlii.ca/t/84mr Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act]'' governs the nature of the contractual relationship between you and the funeral home and burial/cremation service. The ''[http://canlii.ca/t/84mx Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act]'' deals with specific aspects of cremation, as well as funeral and cemetery services. All funeral providers and cemetery operators crematoriums must be licensed with [http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca Consumer Protection BC], which is responsible for regulates the administration and enforcement of legislation concerning cemeteries, crematoriums, cemetery and funeral providers. The funeral home <span class="noglossary">will</span> pick up the body, prepare the body for burial or cremation, and provide a casket or container to transport the body. They may also provide a range of optional services, from placing the ''obituary notice'' industry in the newspaper to arranging catering for the reception. Prices for funeral services vary widely. All funeral providers must display a current price list of the services and products they offerBC. If you ask for prices over the phone, they must provide them to you. When you meet with the funeral home staff to make the arrangements, make sure you know what you are purchasing and consider whether it really is what you want. While some services provided <span class="noglossary">will</span> be basic legal requirements, other services are optional, such as embalming. Some funeral homes have a compassionate policy when complaint about a child has died. The funeral home <span class="noglossary">will</span> have expenses related to the funeral, such as fees for the cemetery or cremation, death certificates, and clergy. Some funeral homes require you to pay for those items prior to the funeral service. If you pay the funeral home directly, you must wait until after the estate is settled to receive reimbursement. [[File: Stock will and testament.jpg | right | frame | link=| <span style="font-size:60%;">Copyright www.shutterstock.com</span>]]If you ask the funeral home for an invoice, you can take it to the bank; they <span class="noglossary">will</span> pay the funeral home directly from your deceased family member’s <span class="noglossary">account</span>. The bank may wish to see a copy of the ''death certificate'' and the will, if there is one. If the family member served in the Canadian Armed Forces and had absolutely no ''assets'', you may be able to get help with funeral expenses from the [http://www.lastpostfund.ca Last Post Fund]. This national non-profit organization provides grants to the <span class="noglossary">spouse</span> or family of a deceased veteran toward funeral and burial or cremation costs when the estate cannot afford to pay. Veterans include war veterans, merchant mariners, and qualified civilians. The price for the funeral service does not include sale of a cemetery lot (that is, a grave, crypt, or niche), or sale of a memorial marker (a headstone, tombstone, monument, or plaque). You must arrange for these separately. The funeral home can assist you. The prices of cemetery lots and memorial markers vary widely. Before purchasing a marker, make sure it meets the requirements of the cemetery you have selected. Most memorial dealers can tell you the requirements for local cemeteries. == What if I need more information or have a complaint? == If you need more information or have a complaint about a cemetery, crematorium, or funeral home, you may wish to <span class="noglossary">contact</span> one of the following: *[http://www.ccabc.org Cemetery and Crematorium Association of BC]*[http://www.bcfunerals.com Funeral Service Association of BC] Both non-profit groups have extensive information and can provide assistance with problem solving. If you have a complaint and cannot resolve the problem, send your complaint in writing to [http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca Consumer Protection BC]. They have See the authority “Where to investigateGet Help” section for contact details.
{{REVIEWED | reviewer = [[People's Law School]], 2012}}