Cremation
ExpatLegalWills.com
is dedicated to providing services related to advance
directives, including our MyFuneral™ service,
which allows people to specify in advance that they wish to be cremated.
These wishes will be communicated to a personal "Keyholder®", chosen by the
member, when the time is right. Below are some questions and answers
related to body burial. All of these issues are handled easily by the MyFuneral™ service.
What exactly is cremation?
When a body is cremated, it is heated intensely -- 1,800 degrees
Fahrenheit or higher -- in an oven-like device called a "retort". It is
reduced to several pounds of ash and some fragments of bones, called "cremains"
(cremated remains) or they may simply be referred to as "ashes". The entire
process takes from two to three hours. Larger bone fragments within the
ashes are usually pulverized before being gathered. The ashes can then be
placed in an urn or other container to be given to a relative, buried, or
entombed in a cemetery or a "columbarium", an arrangement of niches in a
wall or a room where urns can be placed as a permanent memorial.
Alternatively, ashes can be scattered on land or over water, depending on
local laws and restrictions.
What does a cremation cost?
The cost of cremation varies widely depending on the institution handling
it and the region of the country, but it usually runs from $300 to $1,000
in the U.S. and Canada, or £200 to £500 in the U.K.. This is substantially less than the cost of full body burial and this
cost savings is the most common reason for opting for cremation. It is also
regarded as a more environmentally friendly means of body disposition.
If I choose cremation does it mean I don't need a fancy casket?
Being cremated does not mean that you cannot have a full funeral service.
But it can save costs, as only a simple container is necessary for the
cremation (even though you can choose to have a nicer casket for the
service).
What is "Direct Cremation"?
Direct cremation means that you are cremated without a traditional
funeral service, which also reduces costs significantly. In this case, no
viewing or visitation is involved, although a memorial service may be held
with or without the ashes present. Funeral providers who offer direct
cremations also must offer to provide an alternative container that can be
used in place of a casket. The ashes should then be stored in an appropriate
container.
Are there any restrictions on the type of container used to store ashes?
There may be restrictions on the type of container that can be used
depending on any religious beliefs that you may have. For example, it is now
possible to have your ashes stored within jewellery although some religions
regard this as unacceptable. There may also be restrictions on the size of
the container, if it is to be stored in a columbarium.
What exactly would I be paying for if I choose cremation?
Costs include the funeral home's basic services fee, as well as
transportation and care of the body. A crematory fee may be included or, if
the funeral home does not own the crematory, the fee may be added on. There
also will be a charge for an urn or other container. The cost of a cemetery
plot or crypt is included only if the ashes are buried or entombed.
What if I have decided to donate my body or organs after my death?
If you have chosen to donate organs, you still have the choice of
cremation. If you have chosen to donate your whole body to medical science
then the medical school will usually cremate it and bury or scatter the
ashes in a specified plot. However, most institutions will agree to return
the remains to a friend or family member for final disposal - -usually
within a year or two. Note that in some cases, a body donation may be
rejected because of the condition of your body or simply because it is not
needed. In either case, you should indicate your preferences for whether
your body should be cremated or buried.