Funeral Homes are required by law (the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule) to provide pricing information before you start selecting services and merchandise. While funerals costs are much higher than most people expect, you should have been able to select only the items or services you needed/wanted, and you should not have been forced to pay for items you did not want or need. The one exception is the charge usually seen on the funeral contract as “Basic Services of Funeral Director & Staff”. That is the only charge you cannot decline per the Federal Trade Commission.

As for the death certificate, they should have had you confirm the spelling of her name before it was filed. Mistakes do happen, but most funeral homes double-check the death certificate because, as you well know, it causes problems when it gets filed with incorrect information.

I would suggest that you start by requesting to speak to the Funeral Home Manager to discuss of all your complaints. I’m very sorry for all that you have been through, and I do hope you can find a resolution that will bring you peace so that you can grieve the loss of your mother.