Section 3. PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION

All advertising should be factual and dignified.

Subsection 1. Employment Of Agents Or Solicitors

It is unethical and unprofessional for a funeral director to employ, retain or otherwise engage agents to solicit funerals or clientele at the time of death or when death is imminent. This guide shall not be deemed to discourage advertising.

Subsection 2. Payment of Commissions

It is unethical and unprofessional for a funeral director to pay or offer to pay or give to any person or group, a commission or other valuable consideration for the solicitation or procurement of clientele. This shall not be deemed to discourage the promotion of prearranged or prefinanced funeral agreements allowed by the Code and Rules.

Section 4. AIDING AND ABETTING ANOTHER

TO VIOLATE THIS CODE AND MANUAL

It is unethical for any funeral director to aid or abet another person to violate any provision of this Code of Ethics or Manual of Professional Practice.

PART IV

PROFESSIONAL COOPERATION

The status of a profession is measured by the loyalty and respect of individual members to each other and the unity they display as a group. Respect for the profession by the public is lost when members of the profession forget this fact. The practice of full cooperation in all intra-professional relationships elevates the total appreciation by the public, and deprives no funeral director of his rightful share of income from his professional activities.

Section 1. DEFERENCE TO FAMILY'S CHOICE OF FUNERAL DIRECTOR

Frequently, the funeral director is confronted with division in a family group concerning their choice of a funeral director. Professional consideration as well as good taste dictate the withdrawal of all funeral directors so involved until a decision has been made. It is unethical for a funeral director to attempt to influence the family's judgment in such instances.

When called upon to remove the remains from the scene of an accident, or in comparable circumstances, the release of the remains to the funeral director of the family's choice should be made in the quickest and most expedient manner. No expense beyond that for the removal should be incurred until reasonable effort has been made to contact the family of the deceased.

When additional expense is incurred because of unavoidable circumstances, these expenses should be no more than are customarily charged for similar services in that community. It is the professional obligation of the two directors concerned to transact the release and payment for services in a manner that is equitable and that gains the respect of family and friends, thus contributing to the strength and solidarity of the profession.

Section 2. FUNERAL INVOLVING JOINT DIRECTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Subsection l. Cases That Require Transportation To

Another Funeral Director

When called upon by a family or fellow funeral director to arrange for the removal, preparation and transportation of the deceased to another community, such services should be rendered with the same care and diligence as in serving one's own clients.

The family concerned desires the prompt return of the remains and anticipates that no unnecessary expense will be incurred other than that incident to transportation and necessary duplication services. They have a right to expect the funeral directors concerned to cooperate to that end.

When death occurs in a place other than where the funeral and/or final disposition are to take place and the services of two funeral directors are necessary, the basic service should be selected from the funeral director in charge who, in most instances, will be the family funeral director. Because of the situations which develop, additional expenses will be incurred such as added transportation, telephone calls and others, and the family is responsible for such charges. However, where two funeral directors together provide the basic components of the complete service, unless the family wants what amounts to such complete service both where death occurred and also where the final disposition will take place, an adjustment or allowance should be made. The family should pay only for a complete service plus any additional charges incurred because the final disposition was held at a place other than where death occurred. As soon as the details and schedule in the transporting of remains are known to the shipping funeral director he or she shall immediately notify the receiving funeral director thereof.

Where final disposition is at a point distant from where the funeral service is to be conducted and a concrete or metal burial vault is to be used, the funeral director called for the service should suggest the funeral director, who will be responsible for the interment, provide said vault for a number of reasons, including the savings to the family of the added cost of handling and transporting the vault to the place of burial.

Subsection 2. Cases That Involve Accommodation

Embalming Service

When called upon by a colleague for cooperation in the removal and preparation of the remains, it is ethical and professional to represent him as you would wish to be represented if the situation were reversed. The work should be thorough and at no greater expense than is customarily charged in your community for similar services.

Subsection 3. Cases That Involve Accommodation Use

of Another Funeral Director's Facilities

In most communities, funeral directors accommodate each other by permitting the use of their facilities by another funeral director as a matter of professional courtesy and for the convenience of the bereaved family. Such privileges should never be abused. The visiting director should always consider the best interests of the host director by adherence to the directions and procedures prescribed by the latter.

Compensation for use of the staff and facilities of the host director should be equitably adjusted so that the cost to the family be reasonable and they not be required to pay for unnecessary duplicating services.

It is unethical and unprofessional to exploit the use of another director's facilities as a means of personal publicity, or for the purpose of enlarging one's clientele.

It is unethical for a funeral director who does not maintain a fixed place of practice or is not regularly employed in such a place to represent himself to the public as being available to the practice.

Section 3. DEFAMATION OF OTHERS

Care must always be exercised in the comments of one funeral director concerning another. Insinuations, non-factual statements or the overplay of facts that have the intent or effect of harming a fellow funeral director should be avoided at all times.

It is unethical and unprofessional for a funeral director to make or suffer to be made any comment or public announcement in defamation of another funeral director. Reference to another funeral director's misconduct; inability to perform contracts or render adequate service; questionable credit standing; adequacy of staff, facilities and equipment; business methods; prices, values and terms; conditions of employment; or other references that have the tendency or effect of disparaging or misleading; shall be considered defamation. Those who operate unethically may be reported to their association and/or the profession's regulatory authority.

Section 4. INDUCING BREACH OF AGREEMENT

It is unethical and unprofessional for a funeral director to attempt to induce a breach in the agreement between another funeral director and his clients.

FEA Constitution
Manual of Professional Practice, Part I
Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Example Examination
Mini Case Studies
Biblical References
Common Sense and Everyday Ethics, Part I
Common Sense and Everyday Ethics, Part II

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