If your loved one left a will, it will usually outline who should take charge of their funeral planning. They may also have made pre-arrangements at a local funeral home, making their preferences known in advance. If they left no will, or if their funeral arrangements aren't addressed in it, there's a specific process for determining who has the final say in their funeral planning.

Who Makes the Decisions?

Your loved one's legal next of kin oversees these decisions unless they're incapacitated. If your loved one had a spouse or domestic partner, they're the next of kin. If not, the next people with priority are the children of the deceased.

Next, the law looks for parents, siblings, guardians, grandchildren, and more distant relatives. Adoptive-, step-, and half-relations are treated the same as full biological relations for these purposes.

What Needs to Be Decided?

If you're the next of kin, you'll need to make decisions about the disposition of your loved one's remains. You'll need to choose between burial or cremation. If they're being buried, you'll need to decide where, purchase a plot, and buy a casket. For cremation, you'll need to decide whether to keep, scatter, or inter the ashes. You'll also need to take charge of funeral planning, including the time, location, and participants.

How Should You Decide?

Many people have a difficult time making these decisions, so if you need help, look first to any wishes your loved one left behind. This may be in their will, or they may have spoken to you or others. If they didn't leave instructions, consider what you think they would have wanted.

For help with respectful and individualized funeral planning in Cincinnati, OH, contact Meyer & Geiser Funeral Home. Serving Hamilton County for five generations, this family-owned and -operated funeral home is conveniently located across from the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts. Their compassionate funeral directors will make this process simple and help you create a beautiful memorial for your loved one. Call them at (513) 921-4144 or find resources on their website.