- 1). Contact your county, and inquire about their Indigent Burial Process. Most counties have a department that handles these types of crisis, and are will tell you everything you need to know to get your application started. For the most part, both the dying person, and the next of kin are responsible for disposing of the remains. In some counties, it is a criminal misdemeanor violation if you don't dispose of the remains in a timely manner, and these persons could be required to pay as much as three times the cost it would take to dispose of the remains had they had insurance.
- 2). Determine who is responsible for the disposition of the remains. Usually the order of responsibility for burying a person goes to the durable power of attorney, then the spouse, then any adult children, then the parent, then any adult siblings, and finally a public administrator.
- 3). Schedule an interview with the Coroner's Office, and have proof of financial status. Every county is different, so be prepared to prove you cannot afford to pay to bury your next of kin. This means you will need to have a copy of your last paycheck stub, and last year's tax return. They will also most likely run a credit check as well. This goes for the person dying, as well as the next person in line who is responsible for burying them.
- 4). Get approved. Once your application is approved the county will take care of the final disposition and burial. The family will not be able to view the body, or get the remains back, and the burial site will be located by a reference number, and no tombstone. If the deceased was honorably discharged from the military, you may want to contact the Veteran's Administration for more details.
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