What documents do I need to share as proof of my legal authority to make arrangements?

Typically we don't require any documentation.

However, if you are an appointed agent via an Advanced Healthcare Directive or Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare, we will need to review the documents that designate that appointment.

You’ll need to provide:

• A full copy of the Advanced Healthcare Directive or Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare.

• It must be signed by your loved one.

• It must be either:

  • Signed in front of a notary, or

  • Signed in front of two witnesses (who cannot be healthcare workers, and one must not be named in the form).

• If the form was signed while your loved one was living in a nursing home or care facility, it must also include a signature from an ombudsman (a patient advocate).

Please note that a traditional power of attorney, wills, or trust documents are not sufficient to give someone the right to make decisions about burial or cremation. You can learn more about the how decision-making authority is determined here.

Call us if you have any questions at all about these documents or the documentation requirements.