As the cost of funerals gets higher and higher, and cemeteries fill up, more and more people are considering cremation for when they pass.
But one family learned it's not that easy getting permission to be cremated.
Charlie Craddock never thought his mother's passing would create so many problems.
When he tried to honor her wish to be cremated....he learned it's not so simple.
"Well it started back in 1998, when my mother went and prepaid for her funeral arrangements."
Charlie says she prepaid for cremation, even writing it into her will.
"She bought a cremation policy, so she thought everything was done, and there wouldn't be any problems."
But her plan hit a snag.
"The funeral director told me by the way, all your siblings have to agree that she can be cremated."
The funeral home would not allow anything until all 4 adult children signed a consent form.
Charlie says it was not just a shock to him and his wife, but also was a shock to his family finances.
His mother had prepaid $800 for cremation, not $6,000 for a full burial.
Then he couldn't find one brother!
"There was a problem in that my older brother was in the Philippines and we had to wait to get a hold of him."
Each state has different laws, according to the national funeral directors association.
Some states including Florida, Indiana, and California allow the deceased to decide, before they die.
But Kentucky, Michigan, and Massachusetts require children to sign off on cremation.
Ohio and many other states are somewhere in the middle.
Charlie learned that if you desire cremation.
"You've got to check with your children beforehand, because if they disagree, they can cause a problem!"
That way you will save added heartache.
In the end, Charlie was able to have his mother cremated, as she had wished.
But there are major legal risks if a funeral home doesn't follow the law precisely.
So check your local laws early on, so you don't waste your money
