Q: According to Oregon law, when does a body have to be embalmed?

A: When the person died of a contagious or communicable disease.

Q: Are Home Funerals legal?

A: Families in Oregon can legally care for their own dead.

Q: What is the fee, if any, for a member of the clergy to conducting services.

A: Generally, the standard honorarium is $200.

Q: Do I have to buy a casket from the funeral home?

A: The funeral home has to accept the casket you want to use, and cannot charge you a handling fee or service charge if you provide your own.

Consulting & Planning

Farewell Assistance is dedicated to helping individuals navigate the immediate and practical concerns that occur due to a loss, and no job is too small. Just as every person is unique, so is every situation, and sometimes you just need some information on laws, protocol, or where to find quality goods & services that are reliable and reasonably priced. That is why Consulting is a great way to get the information you need in a short period of time.

CONSULTING BY PHONE: Farewell Assistance offers consulting services by the hour, with a one-hour minimum. Furthermore, this hour can be divided into 2, 3, or 4 phone calls, because follow-up questions are common, and sometimes we’ll need to do some research or double-checking and call you back.

90% of consumers do not shop around for funeral arrangements. They do not have the luxury of time or the experience and knowledge to compare the quality or prices of goods. We have shopped around, and know for a fact that the exact same product or service can vary by a $1,000 or more from one funeral home to the next. So one phone call to Farewell Assistance could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Perhaps your dear old Aunt has outlived most of her friends and relatives, was living on Social Security, and she didn’t want you to “make a big fuss.” You want to plan something as simple, respectful and inexpensive as possible. When you call a funeral home, they will tell you about their least expensive services, not the wide range of options a Farewell Assistant might suggest.

CONSULTING IN PERSON: Farewell Assistants are available by the hour to assist you if you only need our services for a short time, or a short project that is less than 4 hours.

We are available to accompany you to a funeral home, so that you can rely on our knowledge of the law, our experience with pricing products and services, and our commitment to protecting your emotional and financial interests. Sometimes adult children who live at a distance want this service for a surviving parent because they can’t travel quickly enough to assist their grieving parent.

If you are someone who wants to shop around for goods & services, including hiring Farewell Assistance, then a Consultation is an inexpensive way to determine if our services are right for you.

Planning continued

Many tender memories soften your grief,
May fond recollection bring you relief,
And may you find comfort and peace in the thought
Of the joy that knowing your loved one brought...
For time and space can never divide
Or keep your loved one from your side
When memory paints in colors true
The happy hours that belonged to you.

~ Helen Steiner Rice