1. Does the price you are quoting include everything, or are there add on fees that I need to be aware of?

2. Where is the cremation being performed?

3. Where is my loved one going to be taken and held prior to the cremation?

4. Can I witness the cremation?

At AM Cremation & Funeral Care we offer a No-Hidden Fee Guarantee, the price we quote is the price, no surprises.

Our cremations are performed at Our Crematory facility that we own and operate: 2000 14th Avenue East, Unit 104, Palmetto, Florida.

Prior to the cremation, your loved one will be in our care and held in our climate-controlled holding area at Our Crematory.

Yes, you may witness the cremation.

Yes, we own and operate our own crematory.

No, embalming is not required. However if you choose to have a public viewing or funeral service prior to the cremation or if you want the deceased’s appearance enhanced for a private family viewing or if the body is going to be transported by air or rail out of state or out of country, or because of the length of time prior to the cremation if no refrigeration of the deceased is available… embalming may be required.

No. While almost every funeral home offers cremation, only a small percentage of cremation service providers have their own cremation units.

You can keep the cremated remains in your possession, scatter them where allowed, bury them in a cemetery, or place them in a mausoleum. A portion of the cremated remains may be kept as a remembrance usually in a mini urn or keepsake jewelry. We also offer unattended scattering at sea that includes a certificate of the scattering for the family to commemorate the date, time and latitude/longitude of the scattering.

Yes. We offer services that allow immediate family members to briefly view the deceased prior to cremation in our private viewing room at the crematory.

Our goal is to complete the cremation as quickly as possible; however, the process is dependent on several different agencies and the doctor who is responsible for signing the death certificate. We strive to do a cremation within 48 hours from the date we receive the permit from the state with the approval from the Medical Examiner and any required signed cremation authorizations from the next of kin. For 90% of the families we serve the average turnaround is 5 - 7 business days to do the cremation, order and receive the death certificates from the health department and return to the family.

No! We do offer other services and merchandise; however, there are no hidden fees in our packages.

We can publish the obituary notice on our website free of charge and there is no limit to the length of the online obituary. The publication of an obituary notice in a newspaper is a matter of your personal choice. While most newspapers control the editorial format, you have the right to limit the amount of information, if any, provided to them.

Families have a choice of very affordable cremation caskets or alternative containers that are completely combustible. The selection includes options from a plain cardboard container (included in all cremation packages) to a more attractive fiberboard or hardwood casket.

The casket or container is placed in the cremation chamber, where the temperature is raised to approximately 1400 degrees to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. After approximately, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, all organic matter is consumed by heat or evaporation. The residue that is left is bone fragments, known as cremated remains. The cremated remains are then carefully removed from the cremation chamber. Any metal is removed with a magnet and later disposed of in an approved manner. The cremated remains are then processed into fine particles and placed in the container provided by the crematorium or placed in an urn purchased by the family. The entire process takes approximately three to four hours. Throughout the cremation process, a carefully controlled labeling system ensures correct identification.

No, cremation is simply a method of preparing human remains for final disposition. If the family would like to have a funeral or viewing with the deceased present prior to cremation or a memorial service after the cremation has been completed, that is possible.

A death certificate is a document, officially recorded with the Florida State Office of Vital Statistics (in Jacksonville), which registers the death of an individual within the state of Florida. The death certificate serves many important purposes. It provides proof of death for life insurance claims, survivor’s Social Security benefits, veteran’s benefits and many other business transactions requiring proof of death.

A death certificate is divided into two sections:

1. The decedent’s personal information, gathered by the funeral director at the initial arrangement conference with the family and

2. The “medical portion,” completed by the certifying physician (or medical examiner as appropriate), listing the primary cause of death and any contributing causes.

Not only does a death certificate serve to officially register the death of someone within the state, but the information is also used by state officials in compiling statistical analysis of death trends and causes for public health planning.

The funeral director who first assumes custody of the decedent must obtain the required personal and statistical information and present the certificate to the attending physician (or medical examiner) for signature and medical certification of the cause of death.

Because of our privacy laws, the state of Florida issues two different types of death certificates – one lists cause of death information, the other does not. Since cause of death information is considered confidential and protected by statute, most Florida businesses are not allowed to accept a death certificate with cause of death information for their transactions. Life insurance companies do, however, require cause of death information on the certificate sent to them.

**the below information has been taken directly from the Florida Department of Health’s website and are the laws we must abide by when ordering death certificates for the families we serve:

WITHOUT CAUSE OF DEATH: Any person of legal age (18 or over) may apply for a certified copy of a death record without the cause of death. The first five digits of the decedent’s social security number will be redacted.

CAUSE OF DEATH INFORMATION: Death records less than 50 years old with the cause of death and full social security number are confidential and may only be issued to:

• Decedent’s spouse or parent;

• Decedent’s child, grandchild or sibling, if of legal age;

• Any person who provides a will, insurance policy or other document that demonstrates his or her interest in the estate;

• Any person who provides documentation that he or she is acting on behalf of any of the above-named persons;

• By Court Order

VALID PHOTO IDENTIFICATION IS REQUIRED WHEN REQUESTING CAUSE OF DEATH.

If applicant is not one of the above, the application must be accompanied by a notarized Affidavit to Release Cause of Death Information (DH Form 1959) signed by one of the above, along with any supporting documentation and a copy of valid photo ID of both the person authorizing release and the applicant.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (Section 119.071 Florida Statutes): Social security numbers held by the Department of Health on death certificates are confidential and will only be issued to an eligible party requesting a confidential record, regardless of the date of death. Therefore, the first five digits of the decedent’s social security number will be redacted when issuing a public record request.

Ordering a Florida Death Certificate

Any person who willfully and knowingly provides any false information on a certificate, record or report required by Chapter 382, Florida Statutes, or on an application or affidavit, or who obtains confidential information from any Vital Record under false or fraudulent purposes, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in Chapter 775, Florida Statutes.

Please note that limited deaths were recorded between 1877 and 1917

The number of death certificates (also referred to as “certified copies”) varies from family to family, depending on the number of business transactions they must attend to requiring a death certificate. On average, most families initially request five to ten death certificates. You will need a death certificate for:

- Life insurance (with cause of death)

- Veterans Administration (with cause of death)

- To sell or transfer the title of a car, boat, or airplane (without cause of death)

- To sell or transfer title of real property (without cause of death)

- Social Security, if there is a surviving spouse or eligible minor child (without cause of death)

- Pensions (without cause of death)

- Banks, for accounts held by the decedent, whether solely or jointly (without cause of death)

- Stocks, bonds, and annuities (without cause of death)

- Clerk of the Court, to initiate Probate proceedings. A persons Last Will and Testament must be filed within 10 days of death (without cause of death)