Funeral Directing Practice
The arrangement conference
NC funeral directing practice is built on written authorization and accurate disclosure. At the start of arrangements, provide a general price list and itemize goods and services. The FTC Funeral Rule and Board rules prohibit misrepresenting legal requirements, requiring a casket for direct cremation when an alternative container is acceptable, and charging for unauthorized embalming. Record the identity of the informant and the person with the right of disposition.
Authority and documents
NC's disposition hierarchy generally begins with the spouse, then adult children, parents, and adult siblings. A funeral director may rely on a signed authorization from the person with priority. File the death certificate with the local registrar and obtain a burial-transit permit before burial, cremation, or removal from the jurisdiction. Embalming is not automatic; it requires authorization and is generally unnecessary if the body is properly refrigerated and disposition occurs promptly.
Worked example
A decedent's cousin arrives with a cremation authorization while the adult daughter is unavailable. The cousin is not in the statutory hierarchy. Signing the cremation would expose the firm to liability. The correct step is to document the hierarchy, attempt to contact the daughter, and decline to proceed until the authorized person signs or a court order is obtained.
Traps
Accepting a friend's authorization, promising services not in the contract, failing to obtain a permit, and embalming before authorization are common failures. Also watch for families who disagree; the director documents rather than chooses sides.