Cremation

Cremation is now the more common choice in much of the world. It settles some questions and opens others, mainly about what happens to the ashes and where people will go to remember.

What a family decides

Whether there is a service, and whether it comes before or after the cremation. What container is used. Whether the ashes are buried, kept, scattered, or divided between family members. Whether there is to be a marker anywhere, and if so where.

Scattering is regulated in many places, so ask the funeral director or the local authority before settling on a spot that matters to you.

What it costs

A direct cremation, with no viewing and no service beforehand, is the least expensive way to arrange a funeral. Adding a service, a rented casket for a viewing, or an urn and a niche brings the cost closer to that of a burial. Funeral homes must give you a price list; ask for it before deciding.

Saying what you want in advance

People often feel more strongly about cremation than about anything else in a funeral, in one direction or the other. Write it down. It belongs with your Will, which is written at the LegalWills website for the country you live in.

Where people go to remember

When there is no grave, families often find they have nowhere to gather. An online memorial gives them one: the story of a life, photographs, and the notes people leave, from anywhere in the world. Creating one at PartingWishes.com is free.