Planning ahead for a funeral in Orlando

Planning ahead gives you time to compare options without pressure and spares your family from guessing. You can record your wishes for free, or pay in advance with a pre-need contract. Florida regulates pre-need contracts closely.

Step 1: Decide what you want

• Disposition: burial, cremation, or another option. See burial vs. cremation.
• Service: a viewing, a funeral, a memorial service, a graveside service, or none.
• Setting: a funeral home chapel, your place of worship, the graveside, or another venue.
• Details: music, readings, speakers, clothing, photos, and military or fraternal honors. Use the memorial service planner.
• Cemetery: a plot, niche, or scattering location. Veterans can ask the VA for a pre-need eligibility decision for national cemetery burial. See veterans benefits.

Step 2: Write it down and tell someone

Keep your wishes with your important papers, and tell your family or executor where to find them. A will is often read after the funeral, so it's a poor place for funeral instructions. Our planning checklist also lists the documents your family will need: your DD-214, insurance policies, and account information.

Step 3: Compare prices

The FTC Funeral Rule applies to pre-need arrangements too, so providers must give you a General Price List. Compare two or three providers with our comparison worksheet and cost calculator.

Step 4 (optional): A pre-need contract

A pre-need contract lets you choose and pay for funeral goods and services in advance, often with installment plans. In Florida:

• Sellers must be licensed by the Department of Financial Services, Division of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services. You can check a license with the Division's online licensee search.
• Payments are protected. Sellers must deposit at least 70% of payments for services and facilities, 100% of payments for cash advance items, and at least 30% for merchandise (or 110% of its wholesale cost, whichever is greater) into a regulated trust, unless the law allows an alternative arrangement.
• 30-day cancellation. You can cancel within 30 days of signing for a complete refund, as long as nothing has been used.
• Cancellation after 30 days. You can still cancel the services, facilities, and cash advance portions later for a refund of the amounts allocated to them. Merchandise follows different rules.
• Missed payments. If payments fall 90 days behind, the contract can go into default, with required written notice.

Questions to ask before signing

• Is the price guaranteed, or could my family owe more later?
• Exactly which goods and services are included, and which cash advance items are estimates?
• What happens if I move, or if the funeral home is sold or closes?
• How much is placed in trust, and what is refunded if I cancel after 30 days?
• Can I transfer the contract to another funeral home?

Get everything in writing, keep a copy, and tell your family where it is.