When pre-planning your funeral, you want to find a funeral home in your area that offers the services most important to you. Most funeral homes provide similar services, but at varying levels. Talk with the funeral director at each facility and get the details on the services they offer. Here are some of the services that may be most beneficial to your family at the time of your passing.

Grief Counseling

Some funeral homes retain their own trained grief counselors. They will offer programs and support groups for the adults and children affected by your passing. They may offer one-on-one support.

Other facilities work with counselors and support groups outside of the funeral home. When talking with the funeral home director in these facilities, ask how easy it is for your family to get help from these resources.

Cemetery Management

A few funeral homes own and manage their own cemeteries. This means you'll have to deal with fewer people to make the funeral and burial arrangements. Cemeteries must follow state and local regulations. They also have their own rules regarding such topics as what sizes and materials are allowed in a memorial stone. If a funeral home in which you are interested manages its own cemetery, get the written regulations from them so you can become familiar with any restrictions.

Assistance With Funeral Arrangements

Ask how much assistance the funeral home will give your family in executing your funeral wishes. Some facilities may take responsibility for all aspects of your pre-planned funeral while others offer less support. Determine the level of support your family will get from the funeral home with the following tasks:

• contacting speakers for the funeral
• organizing the music and any singers you've requested
• sending notices to friends, family, newspapers and online memorial sites
• arranging catering of meals after the service

Filing for Benefits

Requesting insurance or military benefits for the family can be a complicated task. Some funeral homes will help your family by getting the right information together and submitting it to the proper companies and organizations. This can take a burden from your family who are already dealing with the stress of your loss.

Funeral Pre-Payment Options

If the funeral home accepts pre-payment for your funeral arrangements, you'll take away an even greater burden from your family. Get the details on how the facility manages a pre-payment. Some will purchase a funeral insurance policy that is cashed in upon your death. Some facilities put your money into an escrow account to be released at the time of your death.

Find out if you are locked in at the prices at the time you finalize your plan. If not, and the casket you selected is appreciably more expensive when you pass on, your family will be liable for the additional costs. Being locked into the current prices prevents your family from being surprised by costs they will have to cover. For more information, contact companies like Thomas Funeral Chapels Inc.