A direct cremation is the most affordable choice for clients. In the state of New Mexico, having direct cremation is entirely legal. Expect to pay $850 for direct cremation in Las Cruces, and around $1200 in Albuquerque.
Check the website of the New Mexico Department of Health to find out the steps to take for obtaining another copy after the time of death. Downloading a mail-in order or online ordering a copy of the death certificate is the standard procedure.
The no-burial transit permit is needed if the cremation/burial takes place in New Mexico under the guidance of a funeral director or direct disposer. It refers to a person certified to dispose of the body as fast as possible, without embalming or funeral services.
Death may come all of a sudden, in which case decisions should be made by the surviving family members. Here's the order of people who can prepare the funeral when you didn't have time to leave written instructions: 1 The surviving spouse 2 The majority of adult children 3 The parents of the deceased 4 The majority of adult siblings 5 A person who showed increased worry and care for you. it has to be someone who knew your values and opinions on body disposition, but who is also capable of making decisions about the delicate funeral aspects 6 The next of kin
The majority of bodies are buried in settled cemeteries in New Mexico, but it’s legal to organize burial on private land in rural regions of the state.
Just as in the case of other states, embalming isn’t mandatory in New Mexico. Only if the final disposition of the remains doesn’t happen within 24 hours of death, embalming or refrigeration become mandatory. Dry ice or refrigeration will preserve the body only for a short amount of time.
A state medical investigator will release the permit to the certified funeral director. Unlike other states, New Mexico doesn’t require a waiting period before cremation takes place. The casket isn't compulsory for cremation, either. A proper rigid container will be needed, nevertheless.
New Mexico law requires you to file the death certificate with the local registrar of vital records within five days after the death and before final disposition. ( New Mexico Statutes § 24-14-20 (2018).)
You must present the death certificate to the deceased person's doctor, nurse practitioner, or other approved medical provider, who will fill in the medical portion of the death certificate, which contains such information as date, time, and cause of death.
In New Mexico, a body must be embalmed or refrigerated only if final disposition will not occur within 24 hours after death. ( New Mexico Statutes § 61-32-20 (2018).) Refrigeration or dry ice can usually preserve a body for a short time.
Getting a Permit to Transport the Body. No burial-transit permit is required if burial or cremation will occur in New Mexico under the supervision of a funeral director or direct disposer -- that is, a person licensed to dispose of the body as quickly as possible, without funeral services or embalming. (See New Mexico Statute § 24-14-23 (2018).)
In all states, it is legal to have your loved one's body at home after they die. New Mexico does not require you to involve a licensed funeral director in making or carrying out final arrangements. (See, for example, New Mexico Statutes § 24-14-20 (2018), which requires "the funeral service practitioner or person acting as a funeral service practitioner" to file the death certificate.)
You will need certified copies of the death certificate to carry out certain tasks after the death, such as arranging for the disposition of the body and transferring the deceased person's property to inheritors. You may be able to file the death certificate and get certified copies the same day.
In all other cases, the local registrar must issue a burial-transit permit before you move the body for final disposition. (New Mexico Statutes § 24-14-23 (2018).) For example, if someone dies outside the home, this authorization would be necessary to bring the body home for care.
When you accept the authority granted under this power of attorney, a special legal relationship is created between you and the principal. This relationship imposes upon you legal duties that continue until you resign or the power of attorney is terminated or revoked. You must:
This power of attorney authorizes another person (your agent) to make decisions concerning your property for you (the principal). Your agent will be able to make decisions and act with respect to your property (including your money) whether or not you are able to act for yourself. The meaning of authority over subjects listed on this form is explained in the Uniform Power of Attorney Act.
5. if you are married to the principal, a legal action is filed with a court to end your marriage, or for your legal separation, unless the Special Instructions in this power of attorney state that such an action will not terminate your authority.
Make a gift, subject to the limitations of Section 217 of the Uniform Power of Attorney Act and any special instructions in this power of attorney
This power of attorney becomes effective immediately unless you state otherwise in the Special Instructions.
You must stop acting on behalf of the principal if you learn of any event that terminates this power of attorney or your authority under this power of attorney. Events that terminate a power of attorney or your authority to act under a power of attorney include:
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature or via Westlaw before relying on it for your legal needs.
Texas –There is a statutory duty to honor the wishes of the deceased. You may also name an agent to control disposition of remains. Click here to download the form to appoint an agent for the disposition of your body. Utah –A designated agent may carry out the wishes of the deceased.
If you do not fill out a Funeral Planning Declaration, your health care power of attorney named in an advance medical directive has the right to “make plans for the disposition of the principal’s body.” NOTE – a person named in your Funeral Planning Declaration has legal priority over an agent named in your durable power of attorney for health care when it comes to the disposition of your dead body.
Alabama – In 2011 the state adopted a designated agent law which allows you to name a legal representative of your choice to carry out funeral wishes. Click here to download a form.
1. If the dead person was married, on the surviving spouse. Unless: (a) The dead person was legally separated from the person’s spouse. (b) A petition for divorce or for legal separation from the dead person’s spouse was filed before the person’s death and remains pending at the time of death. 2.
New Mexico — You may authorize your own cremation prior to death under statute 24-12A-1. In addition, you may appoint a legal agent to carry out your funeral wishes ( click here for the form) within your will under statute 45-3-701 B. Click here to download a cremation authorization form that includes tips on using your will to appoint an agent.
Arkansas — Arkansas enacted a law in 2009 that allows you to specify your funeral wishes in advance. The law also allows you to designate an agent to carry them out (or you may leave those decisions up to your designated agent). Click here to download a declaration form that complies with Arkansas law.
Massachusetts — How too bad that Massachusetts citizens can only ensure their wishes are carried out by paying a funeral director before they’ve died. The Massachussetts regulation number CMR 239, 3:09 states that if a pre-need (prepaid) contract is in force, then the funeral director shall obey it. Otherwise, the right to control the disposition of your body devolves along the usual next-of-kin line, whether you like it or not. We do have an Advance Directive form on hand by clicking here.
The statute 36-3221 within the law allows the person to provide the designated agent with a health care power of attorney that authorizes the agent to perform the funeral and burial arrangements. However, one of the criticisms directed at the law is that it is confusing and its various directives are conflicting.
Arkansas. The state of Arkansas on the other hand has a more straightforward law which was enacted in 2009 allowing a person to specify funeral arrangements and designate an agent in advance, to whom the deceased can also leave the specifics of decision-making in terms of disposition, funeral arrangements, etc.
In July 2009, Indiana State introduced the Funeral Planning Declaration form that allows residents to specify their last wishes regarding their funeral and body disposition. It also allows them to select beforehand a designated agent who under the law possesses the legal authority to fulfill the last wishes of the deceased. For those residents who die without leaving behind any instructions and without filling out the Funeral Planning Declaration form, a previously named person or agent in the health care power of attorney will help decide on the body disposition and funerary rites of the deceased by becoming the legal custodian of the body.
On the other hand the state of Louisiana has a simple and complicated law, which basically in a nutshell states that the written and notarized last Wishes of the deceased are sole deciders of the remains and funeral arrangements of the dead person.
North Carolina . The state of North Carolina starting in 2007 allowed all its residents the right to decide about their funeral arrangements, including cremation or burial, and also the right to the body or organ donation if the deceased so wished and specified.
Connecticut. The state of Connecticut, on October 1 , 2005, enacted a law that granted a person residing in Connecticut the legally binding right to indicate their personal preference in terms of funeral arrangements and disposition of their body.
The designated agent law will then allow such a person to nominate an agent who isn’t a legal spouse or a relation to carry out the last wishes regarding the nature of the funeral and method of body disposition. Sometimes, this law can also be used to nominate one of the offspring over the others.
Following a death, the executor of the estate takes care of a person’s estate according to the term is power of attorney good after death. For more legal information regarding lawyer for estate planning and laws, be sure to check out our blog.
Following the expiration of the power of attorney, the executor of the state is responsible for legal and financial matters. Named by the will, the executor is bound by the provisions of that is power of attorney good after death.
There are two types of power of attorney: durable and non-durable.
The individual who is given legal power of attorney is called the agent. They can be given broad or limited is power of attorney good after death. With broad powers, the power of attorney has unlimited authority over legal and financial transactions, as allowed by state law.
The law across all states dictates that power of attorney expires when the principal dies. However, expiration doesn’t take effect until the power of attorney is aware of the death of the principal. In practices, this means that they may continue to act on their behalf until they’re aware of the death.
On the other hand, a durable power of attorney would continue in their role despite incapacitation. This type of power of attorney doesn’t provide authority over life or death health care decisions. And although it provides a broader range of powers, it also expires upon death.