You have rights & protections when arranging a funeral. Last Rights accompanies you as you explore and exercise them with your funeral director. Experience more values-aligned, eco-friendly, and meaningful farewells.
The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) 'Funeral Rule' is the most essential document every family should be familiar with before setting foot in a funeral home. It is a clear set of rights & protections we all have in the deathspace. The FTC protects the critical time when families are grieving, susceptible, and often without a clear understanding of their rights.
You are entitled to an itemized price list the moment you walk in. No purchase required.
Example:
When Linh's mother passed away after a long illness, Linh had never arranged a funeral before and didn't know where to start. Read more ↓
Funeral homes must provide price information over the phone upon request.
Example:
Marisol found out about her uncle's passing on a Wednesday morning while she was at work. Read more ↓
You can choose only the goods and services you want. No forced packages.
Example:
Milan's father had been a quiet, private man his whole life, the kind of person who avoided large gatherings and disliked being the center of attention. Read more ↓
You can supply your own casket or urn. Funeral homes must accept it.
Example:
The family had done their research well before the funeral home visit and found a simple, well-reviewed casket online for roughly a third of what the funeral home's own catalog listed for a comparable model. Read more ↓
Before you pay, you must receive a written statement of all charges.
Example:
Pascal had been the one managing logistics for his mother's funeral from the start, coordinating with siblings scattered across three states. Read more ↓
Embalming is usually not legally required. You can decline it.
Example:
When Erik's father passed away on a Sunday, the funeral was planned for later that same week, a burial with a small private viewing for close family only. Read more ↓
If a cemetery requires a vault, the funeral home must tell you and provide pricing.
Example:
When Adaeze's grandmother passed, the family chose traditional burial at a cemetery two towns over, the same cemetery where three generations of the family already rested. Read more ↓
You have the right to see casket prices in writing before you see the actual caskets.
Example:
Azure walked into the funeral home already anxious about cost. Read more ↓
If a legal, cemetery, or crematory rule forces a purchase, the funeral home must explain it in writing.
Example:
Sofia's uncle had asked, before he passed, to be buried in the family plot his own father had purchased decades earlier. Read more ↓
You don't need a casket for cremation. Alternative containers must be made available.
Example:
Manu's younger brother passed unexpectedly at 34, and the family wanted to honor him in a distinctly Hawaiian way, retaining his bones rather than letting the crematorium process his remains in the standard way. Read more ↓
You have the right to take your time exploring your options, as you design a values-aligned farewell with your funeral director. Navigate every stage of the funeral home experience with confidence and clarity.
Become thoroughly acquainted with the 'Funeral Rule' and how it relates to your wishes, before you call or visit a funeral home.
Use your right to telephone price disclosure. Call at least 2-3 homes and compare prices freely.
Decide whether a green burial, eco-casket, Recompose, etc, aligns with your values before you sit down with a funeral director.
Grief can impact decision-making. Bring a support human to accompany you as you navigate the deathspace.
What matters most to you? Cultural customs? Environmental options? Write it down and take it with you to stay values-aligned.
As soon as you sit down, ask for the GPL if it hasn't been provided. You are legally entitled to it.
You do not have to decide anything during the first meeting. A solid funeral director will understand a family needs time to process.
If pressured toward a service or product, ask directly. If the answer is vague, it probably is not required.
You can decline any service that isn't legally required. Politely but firmly state your wishes.
Before agreeing to anything, ask for the written itemized statement and review each item carefully.
After the service, review your final statement line by line. Compare it to what was agreed upon.
If you believe the FTC Funeral Rule was violated, you can file a complaint at FTC.gov or call 1-877-382-4357.
Sharing, positive or negative, helps families make better-informed choices.
Document your own wishes, eco preferences, cultural customs, etc. Include a reference to the FTC 'Funeral Rule' to ensure your family is aware of it.
Here are some collaborative conversation suggestions you can use to help keep your meeting centered on clarity and your values.
"Thank you for seeing us. Before we begin, could you provide your General Price List? We want to make fully informed decisions."
Best used: at the very start of any arrangement meeting.
"We'd prefer to decline embalming. We understand it isn't legally required, and we'd like to explore alternatives that align with our family's values."
Best used: when embalming is presented as standard or assumed.
"We've already chosen a casket through a third-party provider 'x', as allowed by the FTC's 'Funeral Rule'. We'd like to confirm the delivery process."
Best used: when you've sourced a casket independently.
"We'd prefer to select services individually. Could you walk us through your itemized options so we can choose what fits our needs?"
Best used: when a package is the default starting point.
"Is this legally required by state law, or is it something you recommend? We want to make the right choice for our family."
Best used: anytime a "requirement" claim feels unclear.
"Environmental impact is important to us. Could you help us understand which options you offer for a greener farewell?"
Best used: to open a values-aligned conversation with your director.
These real-world examples, one for each right under the FTC's Funeral Rule, illustrate what exercising your rights might look like in practice. They are fictitious stories, but very real and common scenarios.
Read story ↓
When Linh's mother passed away after a long illness, Linh had never arranged a funeral before and didn't know where to start. She chose a funeral home close to her parents' house mostly because it was familiar; she'd driven past it a hundred times. Nervous and still in shock, she sat down across from the funeral director expecting to be walked through the process clearly. Instead, the director spent the first twenty minutes talking about "how special the celebration of life package is" and steering the conversation toward a bundled service, never once mentioning a price list. When Linh finally asked directly for a written General Price List, the director hesitated and said, "We can go over pricing once we've figured out what feels right for your mom." Linh had done a little reading beforehand and knew this wasn't optional. She calmly repeated her request: "I'd like the General Price List now, please." The director's tone shifted, and Linh was given the list. She didn't make a single decision in that meeting. She thanked the director, folded the list into her bag, and drove to her father's house that evening. The three of them, Linh, her father, and her younger brother, spread the pages across the kitchen table with cups of tea going cold beside them, circling items that felt right, crossing out ones that didn't. Because their family followed Vietnamese Buddhist tradition, they wanted a simple biodegradable urn rather than an ornate metal one, and space set aside for incense and a chanting ritual rather than a standard viewing package. The General Price List made it easy to see which line items they actually needed and which ones they could quietly cross off. By the time they returned to the funeral home two days later, they weren't reacting to whatever was placed in front of them. They were choosing from a menu they'd already made sense of, on their own terms.
Read story ↓
Marisol found out about her uncle's passing on a Wednesday morning while she was at work. There was no time to visit funeral homes in person before decisions needed to move forward, so during her lunch break she sat in her parked car and started calling. The first funeral home she reached wouldn't give her a straight answer. "It's really best if you come in so we can walk you through everything in person," the woman on the phone said, deflecting twice more when Marisol pressed for even a rough estimate. Marisol knew this wasn't how it was supposed to work. "I understand you'd like me to come in," she said, "but I believe funeral homes are required to give price information over the phone if I ask for it." There was a long pause, and then, reluctantly, the woman began reading off numbers. Marisol called three more homes after that, and each one answered without resistance the moment she asked. By the time her lunch break ended, she had a side-by-side comparison of four funeral homes' pricing, all without a single in-person visit or a request for her name. That evening she brought the comparison to her mother, who was relieved not to have to sit through four separate sales meetings. They chose the second option on the list, not the cheapest, but the one that was forthcoming with the price list, a step that made them feel more confident going with that funeral home, and the one willing to support a gathering outside its own chapel. Rather than a formal service indoors, the family held the memorial in her uncle's backyard, the same yard he'd hosted birthdays in for thirty years, with a simple pine casket and a marigold-covered ofrenda honoring his Mexican heritage set up near the garden he'd tended for decades.
Read story ↓
Milan's father had been a quiet, private man his whole life, the kind of person who avoided large gatherings and disliked being the center of attention. So when the funeral home's default proposal arrived, a bundled package including a full viewing, a hearse procession, a large floral arrangement, and a printed guest book, Milan felt a knot form in his stomach. None of it sounded like his father. He asked whether the family could choose services individually instead. The director frowned slightly and said, "Honestly, most families find it's just easier, and frankly more respectful, to go with the full package." It was said gently, but it still felt like pressure. Milan held his ground. "I understand, but I know we have the right to buy things separately. I'd like to see the itemized list." The director's expression didn't change much, but the itemized list came out, and no further mention of "easier" was made. In the end, the family selected direct cremation, a modest urn, and nothing else. They gathered at Milan's father's favorite fishing spot along the river two weekends later, a small group of six, no hearse, no printed programs, and scattered a portion of his ashes into the current he used to fish every autumn. The funeral home's final bill reflected only what they'd actually chosen, and Milan felt peace of mind knowing their choices reflected the essence of his father.
Read story ↓
The family had done their research well before the funeral home visit and found a simple, well-reviewed casket online for roughly a third of what the funeral home's own catalog listed for a comparable model. When they mentioned this to the director, his response was curt: "We can't guarantee the quality of outside caskets, and there's a handling fee if you bring your own." That wasn't accurate, and the family had read enough to know it. "I believe funeral homes aren't allowed to refuse a casket bought elsewhere, or charge an extra fee for handling it," one family member said. The director didn't argue further. He asked for the delivery details and confirmed a date, no fee attached. The casket arrived two days later, was received and stored without incident, and was ready and waiting when the family arrived for the service. The savings mattered, several hundred dollars that the family redirected toward a small reception afterward, but just as meaningful was the fact that they got clarity on the casket confusion. It was a simple act of agency in a week that had otherwise felt overwhelming and out of their hands.
Read story ↓
Pascal had been the one managing logistics for his mother's funeral from the start, coordinating with siblings scattered across three states. By the time the arrangements were finalized, he was exhausted and mentally ready to simply sign whatever was placed in front of him. But before any payment was requested, the funeral home handed him a written statement listing every good and service selected, the price of each, and the total cost. Pascal forced himself to read it line by line, despite how tired he was. Near the bottom, he noticed a $150 line item labeled "delivery fee" that had never come up in conversation, and a "facility usage" charge nearly double what the General Price List had shown weeks earlier. He asked about both. The director's first response was vague, something about "standard adjustments," but when Pascal asked to see how the facility usage figure was calculated against the original GPL, the charge was quietly corrected back down and the delivery fee was removed entirely. Pascal paid the corrected total that afternoon, but the moment stayed with him: if he'd been too tired to read carefully, he would have paid for charges the family never agreed to and that didn't match the price list he'd been given weeks before.
Read story ↓
When Erik's father passed away on a Sunday, the funeral was planned for later that same week, a burial with a small private viewing for close family only. During the initial meeting, the director said, "We'll need to embalm him, that's required by law before any viewing can happen." Erik had read the FTC Funeral Rule guide the night before, mostly out of nervous habit, and something about that statement didn't sit right. "I don't think embalming is actually required by law in most cases," he said. "Is there a specific reason it's needed here?" The director's explanation grew vaguer, something about "standard procedure," and when Erik asked whether refrigeration might be an acceptable alternative given the short timeline, the director conceded that yes, it was, and that embalming had simply been the default recommendation. Erik respectfully declined. The funeral home offered refrigeration instead, a simple, non-toxic alternative that required no further discussion. The small family viewing went ahead as planned two days later, quiet and unhurried.
Read story ↓
When Adaeze's grandmother passed, the family chose traditional burial at a cemetery two towns over, the same cemetery where three generations of the family already rested. During the planning meeting, the director mentioned an outer burial container was needed and added, almost as an afterthought, "State law requires it, unfortunately, so there's not much flexibility here." Adaeze had read enough beforehand to know that wasn't quite right. "I thought outer burial containers were a cemetery requirement, not a state law," she said carefully. The director backpedaled a little. "Well, it depends on the cemetery, that's true." Adaeze asked to see the separate container price list before viewing anything, and noticed there wasn't a clearly low-cost option printed on it, even though her cousin had mentioned paying far less for a simple liner the year before. She asked directly: "Do you have anything more basic than what's listed here?" The director checked and confirmed, a little less confidently than before, that a simpler concrete liner was available; it simply hadn't been printed on the list. That single question, and her willingness to ask it even after being told something misleading, saved the family several hundred dollars, money they put instead toward a traditional cloth ceremony. They also chose a plain untreated wood casket over a sealed metal one, both because it fit their budget and because it felt closer to a natural return to the earth.
Read story ↓
Azure walked into the funeral home already anxious about cost. Her grandmother had left no life insurance, and the family had been quietly pooling money for weeks. She'd heard from a friend that showrooms were sometimes arranged to steer people toward the more expensive options first, so she was on alert. Sure enough, the director tried to walk her straight into the display room before any pricing had been discussed. "Let's take a look at what we have, and we can talk numbers after," he said, already halfway to the door. Azure stopped and said, "I'd actually like to see the casket price list first, before I look at anything in the room." He paused, clearly not used to the request, then retrieved it from a drawer. Sitting in a small side office, Azure read through the list carefully. Three models near the bottom caught her eye: simple, cloth-covered, and roughly a third of the price of what she suspected would have been shown to her first. When she finally walked into the showroom, she asked specifically to see those three models, none of which were on display. The director retrieved photographs and a sample panel of fabric from a back room, somewhat begrudgingly. Azure chose the middle option: dignified, soft blue, and well within the family's budget. She left knowing the choice had been hers from the start, not the room's, and not the director's.
Read story ↓
Sofia's uncle had asked, before he passed, to be buried in the family plot his own father had purchased decades earlier. When the day came, the cemetery informed the funeral home that the burial vault needed to be positioned in a specific way, lid removed, container inverted over the casket, a requirement of the cemetery itself, not a state or local law. Rather than being told simply to comply, Sofia's family received a written explanation as part of their final statement, describing exactly what the requirement was, why the cemetery imposed it, and clarifying that it wasn't something the funeral home had added on its own. Sofia read it aloud to her mother, who had been quietly worried that funeral homes might tack on unnecessary requirements just to increase the bill. Understanding the "why" behind the requirement changed how the family felt about it. It wasn't an upsell; it was a genuine cemetery policy, tied to how the ground would settle over the coming years, and one that ultimately aligned with what the family already wanted: a natural, gradual return to the earth, and a green burial designation within the cemetery grounds. Knowing they were informed, rather than simply instructed, gave the whole process a different, more trusting tone. Instead of a service inside the funeral home chapel, the family gathered at the small flower farm Sofia's uncle had planted himself decades earlier, sharing stories among the same rows of blooms he'd tended every autumn.
Read story ↓
Manu's younger brother passed unexpectedly at 34, and the family wanted to honor him in a distinctly Hawaiian way, retaining his bones rather than letting the crematorium process his remains in the standard way. When Manu asked whether partial cremation was possible so the family could keep the bones themselves, the director hesitated. "That's not really something we do, most families just receive the ashes," he said. Manu pressed gently: "I don't think that's a legal restriction, is it? I believe the crematorium can accommodate this if we ask." After checking, the director confirmed the crematorium could recalibrate the retort for a partial cremation and set the requested bone fragments aside, rather than pulverizing everything into uniform ash. The family also chose a simple unfinished wood container instead of a traditional casket, keeping things modest and natural. Manu's mother wrapped the retained bones in woven lauhala and kept them in the comfort of the family home, a quiet, ongoing connection to her son that a standard cremation package would never have made room for. Manu later said the moment that stuck with her most wasn't the process, but realizing how close they'd come to not being able to exercise this meaningful option.
You have the right to the greenest possible options in the deathspace. There are many meaningful ways to align your death with your values in life. Consult with your funeral director, friends, or online to determine what's available in your area.
No embalming, vault, or non-biodegradable casket. The body returns naturally to the earth in a biodegradable shroud or casket. Green burial is typically at 3 ft vs. 6 ft.
Explore Here →Handwoven caskets from sustainable materials like willow or wicker. They are lightweight, biodegradable, and durably crafted.
Explore Here →Biodegradable, affordable, and dignified. Cardboard caskets are simple in their craftsmanship, but durable.
Explore Here →Untreated solid wood that biodegrades naturally with the body. Wooden caskets are crafted from Mama Earth friendly materials that break down gently over time.
Explore Here →Water-based cremation that uses 90% less energy than flame cremation and produces no emissions. It is legal in many states.
Explore Here →Recompose is the process of transforming human remains into nutrient rich soil. It is gentle on the body, on Mama Earth, and is legal in many states.
Explore Here →