Q & A

The order of the priority set forth in Subdivision 2 of Section 4201 of the NYS Public Health Law is the Following:

• Person designated in written instrument;
• Spouse;
• Domestic Partner;
• Any Child 18 or Older;
• Either Parent
• Any Brother or Sister 18 or Older
• Authorized Guardian;
• Person 18 or Older now Eligible to Receive an Estate Distribution, in the following order:
  • Grandchildren;
  • Great-Grandchildren
  • Nieces and Nephews
  • Grand-nieces and Grand-nephews;
  • Grandparents;
  • Aunts and Uncles;
  • First Cousins
  • Great-Grandchildren of Grandparents;
  • Second Cousins;
• Fiduciary
• Close friend or other relative who is reasonably familiar with the decedent’s wishes, including his or her religious or moral beliefs, when no one higher on the list is available, Willing or competent to act; (Note: This person must complete an “At-Need written Statement of Person Having the Right to Control disposition” form)
• Public administrator (or the same official in a county not having a public administrator);or anyone willing to act on behalf of the decedent who completes the “At-Need Written” Statement form.

The number of Death Certificates you require will depend on your individual circumstances. Death certificates are normally required to settle the affairs of the deceased. Therefore, the number required will be dependent upon the quantity and status of these assets. You may wish to consult your legal advisor on this topic. You may also wish to download our Checklist of places where death certificates are normally needed using the link provided below.

Veterans may be eligible for several different benefits and/or allowances.
All Honorably Discharged Veterans are entitled to certain benefits upon death, but may not be eligible for monetary allowances. To determine whether you qualify for a burial allowance or reimbursements, we encourage you to speak with Veterans Administration directly.
Each honorably discharged veteran is entitled to be buried in a VA cemetery (space permitting) and veterans who choose cremation may even elect to have their ashes placed in Arlington National Cemetery, if desired. In addition, the next of kin of an honorably discharged veteran will be eligible to receive a burial flag in their memory. We will assist you in obtaining a flag and can provide the forms necessary to apply for burial allowance.
VA Application for Burial Allowance
VA Application for Marker

The Human Resources Administration (HRA) will provide financial assistance to individuals in need of assistance to meet funeral expenses. These funds are available when an indigent resident of New York City dies who may have been in receipt of SSI, PA or no public benefits at all, without leaving funds to cover their burial expenses and there are no relatives or friends willing or able to pay the funeral expenses. You can learn more here:
HRA Burial Claim Process Application (English)

We will send the initial death notification to Social Security. When a death occurs, Social Security must be notified. We will send the initial notification of death to the local SSA office (SSA Form 721) to inform them of the death. We then encourage the family to call Social Security at their earliest convenience to determine if benefits will need to be returned to Social Security and if the survivor qualifies for any Survivor Benefits from Social Security. For more information on this subject, you may wish to visit the Social Security Administration website.

Yes. In New York, you may keep the ashes at home with you as long as you choose. If you choose to keep the ashes at home, we would recommend that you consider keeping them in a decorative urn or container. However none is required by law.
Another very popular option is Keepsake Urns. Keepsake Urns are small decorative urns designed to hold a small portion of the ashes. This allows one or more family members to keep a small portion of the ashes while the remainder may be buried or scattered elsewhere. We offer several types of decorative urns and sharing urns suitable for this purpose and would invite you to browse our selection.

Our facilities provides two large chapels and most affordable amenities with ample parking for those attending the ceremony, visitation or gathering. Our spacious foyer is designed to warmly greet your guests attending the service. Our chapel is elegantly designed with a warm comfortable feeling unlike a typical funeral home. Since cremation is simply a matter of personal choice, All Boro Cremation Services offers three types of cremation pre-arrangements. Whether a family selects a Traditional Cremation Service, Memorial Cremation Service or a Direct Cremation, you can be assured that All Boro Cremation Services will orchestrate every detail to perfection.

Obituary Notices placed in newspapers are OPTIONAL and are not required. You are not required to publish a public obituary notice. If you wish to remain private and be selective of who is notified of a death, you may choose not to place any public notices. Many people, however, see a real value in placing a notice in the local newspapers and/or “back home” to notify friends and family in the area.

Our staff will assist you with the placement of any desired obituary notices.In some cases, the newspaper may only accept a notice if it is submitted by the funeral home.
Please note: MANY NEWSPAPERS NO LONGER OFFER FREE OBITUARY NOTICES. Be very careful when placing an obituary notice or requesting us to place a notice for you. There may be additional charges from the newspaper for the notice. We will always inquire about any additional charges and communicate with you about those charges BEFORE placing a notice on your behalf. Contact us directly for more information.

No, you should not use photocopies in lieu of Certified Copies of the Death Certificate. Certified Copies of the Death Certificate are printed on special safety paper and have a raised seal. Photocopies are not usually accepted in situations where an official death certificate is required.

No, Social Security does not pay for final arrangements. While certain survivors may be eligible for a survivor benefit, it will only be sent to the survivor and cannot be assigned by a funeral home or cremation service. For more information, visit the Social Security Administration website.
VA may pay a partial reimbursement to the purchaser for final expenses.While the VA may partially reimburse some veterans for final expenses, it is normally only available if the veteran was receiving financial benefits from the VA during life (i.e., retirement, disability, etc.). Determining if a veteran is eligible for a burial allowance can be complicated. We encourage you to speak with Veterans Administration directly.

Cremation is irreversible. Therefore there are several safe-guards in place to insure that a cremation is not performed prematurely.

• In addition to this waiting period, the law requires that the Death Certificate be completed and signed by the certifying physician AND approved by the Medical Examiner in whose jurisdiction the death occurred. While physicians normally sign the death certificate as quickly as their busy schedules allow, it may sometimes take several days to get through this certification process.
• Although this certification process before cremation does require some time, it also insures that cremations are not performed before any questions about the cause of death have been adequately answered.
• The staff at All Boro Cremation Services will always make every effort to complete the cremation for you as promptly as procedural and legal requirements allow.