FAQs
Disinterment vs. exhumation?
This is a set of words that are often misused like casket vs. coffin. A disinterment is when a deceased is removed from their original burial place by choice of the family for whatever reason, to move them, cremate them, etc. Exhumation is a court ordered removal of a deceased from their place of burial for example for reexamination for a trial
Who can disinter?
We work along side families, highway agencies, local authorities, construction companies, architects, church diocese, cemetery authorities, religious organizations, overseas embassies and others to disinter, inter, reinter, exhume and cremate.
Can you move an entire cemetery and why would you?
The answer in short: YES - if permitted by the court / government authorities.
As time travels forward, it is common for small family cemeteries to be on land that is sold to other land owners, or companies for development. When this occurs it may be necessary to relocate that cemetery for the purpose of construction or land development. When doing this, we take all precautions to preserve the dignity of those remains and treat the disinterment and re-interment with respect. When moving a cemetery for development, it will be required to place those graves in an existing cemetery or new cemetery.
Many times land is purchased privately or by corporations without the knowledge of a grave or cemetery and later discovered. At times these graves are unearthed and when that occurs all development, digging and construction must stop and the process of disinterment must begin.
There are instances where cemetery’s are abandoned. Even though a cemetery or private family plot may be abandoned, the people buried there are still protected by law and a disinterment must occur when permitted by law and/or court order to disinter those graves and re-inter properly.
Why ask for Disinterment?
When you bury your loved ones, most of the time you do so with the intent that they remain where they are buried forever. However, sometimes circumstances arise where it becomes necessary to remove them for their grave, at least for a time. When that happens, it becomes necessary to ask for disinterment.
Disinterment is the process by which a dead body is legally exhumed from its final resting place. Typically, requesting disinterment is as simple as having the party or parties with the right to disinter file and affidavit consenting to the disinterment, although this can be complicated (we will handle all of that) if there are multiple parties contesting who has the right to disinter a body. If there are no legal complications, however, the body can be legally exhumed without fear of accusations that the gravesite has been defiled.
There are several reasons someone might disinter a dead body. Most commonly, it is for medical examination purposes, such as if information comes to light that calls into question the persons official cause of death. Another reason might be to move the body from its current resting place to a family plot elsewhere, if the family plot was acquired after the persons death. Finally, there might be a question as to whether the person buried at the plot is the correct person, if there is reason to fear there might be a case of mistaken identity.