Signing a written contract
Prearranged funeral services and sepultures must not only be agreed to in writing but the Act states that funeral services and sepultures must be addressed in two separate contracts:
- funeral services comprise all goods and services provided with respect to the actual death, with the exception of a sepulture and its maintenance;
- the sepulture is a concession, compartment or any other space in a cemetery, columbarium, mausoleum or site serving the same purposes.
Each contract must contain mentions that are compulsory by law, notably regarding terms of payment, system for depositing the amounts entrusted to the vendor in trust and cancellation conditions.
A funeral services contract must also contain:
- description and cost of each good and service, plus the applicable taxes;
- total goods payable, total services payable and total contract cost.
A sepulture contract must also contain:
- price and description of the sepulture (location, size and other information);
- price and description of maintenance services.
After the contract has been signed, the merchant must give you a copy and the law also requires him to give a copy to a third party designated by you within ten days of the date it is signed.
This way, you know that at least one person among your friends or family knows the provisions you have made. This person's name should appear in the contract. You may also decide not to designate a third party. In which case, you must sign a clause to this effect in the contract.