Some people prefer to care for their own dead, rather than delegate after-death tasks to funeral directors and embalmers. Most state laws allow you to act on your own in handling these matters, as long as you follow certain regulations, such as the depth at which a body must be buried. (However, some states specify that a licensed funeral director must handle the final disposition of a deceased person.)
You can find a synopsis of state law requirements at the Funeral Consumers Alliance. The book Caring for Your Own Dead: Your Final Act of Love by Lisa Carlson (Upper Access Publishers) also details the permits required in each state and how to find and file them.
