Do you legally need an obituary?

An obituary is not a legal document and is not required by law (at least according to the research we did).

However, state law requires a death certificate to be filed. The funeral home helping you with arrangements can help you through the filing process.

Need help writing an obituary? You can purchase our step-by-step How to Write a Good Obituary guide for $20. It’s an instant digital download that includes an instructional guide, a facts checklist, a “Good Stuff” worksheet, and a fill-in-the-blank template.