It is possible that the decedent made funeral arrangements in advance, so look for documents indicating that this has been done.  “Documents” may mean either notes by the deceased indicating his or her desires (e.g. burial or cremation) or receipts indicating that the deceased prepaid (e.g. purchased a burial plot).  If arrangements were not made in advance, you must make the decisions.

All the funeral costs should be paid from the decedent’s estate and not by you personally.  If trust cash is not immediately available, anyone may pay for the funeral and then be reimbursed from the estate as soon as the trust’s cash is available.  If nobody is able to pay for the funeral, you can ask the funeral home, florist, and other funeral professionals to bill the estate.  The funeral bills are usually the first expenses paid when the estate’s cash becomes available.

If any conflicts arise over the funeral arrangements, the following is the list of those who have priority to make decisions: (1) The person designated by the deceased, (2) spouse, (3) child (ren) (4) parents, and (5) the legal representative of the estate (such as the Executor or Trustee).