The Death Care Time Line

You will probably feel pressured when planning a loved one’s death care or implementing a loved one’s death care plan. While death does compel urgency, there is some flexibility to assess options and costs.

Firstly, most states do not allow disposition prior to 2 days, to allow time to determine and document the cause of death. Usually bodies are refrigerated for temporary preservation. But each state specifies how many days a body can be kept without embalming, usually 2-4 days.

Even if a body is temporarily stored at a funeral home, it is legal to remove the body once plans have been finalized - ex. to another funeral home, to a crematory, etc. Most states also have a provision for home burial.

Disposition and a memorial service can be two separate events if no viewing is involved. But if a viewing is involved, the average funeral takes place within 2-4 days of death.

Be aware that after-death paperwork has its own timeline that runs in parallel with handling the body.

Lisa S.
July 28, 2010