Although it may not be the kind of cargo anyone prefers to think about, shipping human remains to its final resting place is sometimes necessary. In these circumstances, special shipping arrangements must be made to safely ship the human remains to their destination. In many states and countries, there are certain regulations which require embalming, though it is not always necessary provided the body is transported in a sealed casket. Ultimately, it is best to leave these details to a licensed funeral director, who is familiar with shipping dead bodies and handling all of the details involved in arranging a funeral.

Even when death is imminent, many of us are still unprepared and uncertain as to what paperwork and documentation is necessary once a loved one passes away. Although it is recommended to let a licensed, independent funeral director answer your questions, you may also choose to seek legal counsel for additional information regarding your loved one’s estate and financial affairs. The following is a helpful list to follow when you must put the deceased’s documentations and affairs in order:

1. If a doctor is not present, notify a doctor or coroner in order to obtain a death certificate.
2. If the death occurs at home, you may need to contact a local police officer or coroner.
3. If the deceased made his/her intentions known beforehand, a donation of body parts and tissues should be considered.
4. Notify family and friends. You may want to consider having family members contact others to save yourself some time on the phone during a stressful period.
5. Look for instructions which the deceased may have left regarding preferences for funeral/cremation and/or burial arrangements.
6. Determine if the deceased belonged to a burial or memorial society that may make special arrangements for the funeral, such as military honor guards.
7. Decide what type of funeral arrangements you would like to make – you may choose the convenience of making online funeral arrangements, such as FuneralAgent.com, whose knowledgeable clientele can assist you with all of the details, including shipping your loved one’s casket, planning the funeral or cremation, and so on – all done from the comfort of your home.
8. Contact the Social Security Administration and any other government agencies or benefit program that may be making payments to the deceased.
9. Review the deceased’s financial affairs and look for any estate planning documents, such as Wills and Trusts, along with any other relevant documents, including:

• Funeral and Burial Plans;
• Safe Deposit Agreements and keys;
• Nuptial Agreements;
• Life Insurance Policies;
• Existence of Trust;
• Pension-retirement benefits;
• Old tax returns;
• Prior Gift Tax returns;
• Marriage, birth and death certificates;
• Divorce documentation;
• Computer records regarding books of a business or personal assets;
• Bank statements, checkbooks, similar documents;
• Notes receivable;
• Titles to motor vehicles;
• Leases;
• Securities and list of securities;
• Any documentation of business ownership or business interest;
• Health Insurance, make claims for the final illness; and
• Unpaid bills

This is only a partial list, but it will give you an idea of the paperwork and documentations entailed when preparing your loved one’s funeral.