A prearranged funeral services contract is a contract entered into with a living person whereby funeral services are provided to that person upon his or her death, in consideration of partial or total payment before the death. It may be cancelled at any time at the buyer's discretion, in consideration of a 10% penalty provided for in the Act respecting prearranged funeral services and sepultures.
This is a contract whereby you choose your funeral arrangements and pay for them at the current rate (which is frozen). You yourself decide on the type of funeral service you would like, and the price and services chosen are guaranteed. Prearrangement spares your family from making decisions in an emotional state, and also spares them a great many procedures and formalities which can often be painful, coming as they do at a difficult time. For your peace of mind, as provided for by law, your principal is deposited with a trustee, and the cooperative's books are audited annually.
Protection guaranteed by the Act
The Act respecting prearranged funeral services and sepultures also obliges the seller (the funeral home) to deposit in trust 90% of the amounts it collects in partial or total payment of a prearranged funeral services contract. The Act allows the seller to retain the other 10%. Consequently the amounts thus collected cannot be used for other purposes, thus guaranteeing that the money will be available in future to provide you with the funeral services described in the prearrangement.
One-stop shopping on affordable terms, with possible transfer
The Coopérative funéraire de l'Outaouais, a locally owned organization, offers you a full range of funeral services to suit your preferences and expectations, as well as one-stop shopping for your pre-planning. It takes care of all the arrangements, including services by external providers such as: cemetery, church, caterer, florist, newspaper notices, acknowledgement cards, etc.
In addition to honoring your preferences, the CFO offers you the option of spreading your payments over a period of up to 60 months, interest-free.
What is more, your prearrangement contract can easily be transferred to 20 funeral cooperatives in Quebec (with over 100 service points).
To find out more
For complete information on the pre-planning that is appropriate for you, we suggest that you arrange a no-obligation appointment with one of the advisers at the CFO.