What is the Average Cremation Time?

At Woodward Funeral Home, we pride ourselves on handling the services of your loved one with the utmost dignity and care. We also stress the importance of efficiency with everyone on our team. When a family has chosen cremation we make every effort to return your loved one’s cremated remains as soon as possible.

In handling a direct cremation, the State of Virginia does require that a primary care physician or attending physician sign off on a death certificate.

After the death certificate has been completed the state requires that a Medical Examiner review the signed certificate prior to signing the cremation authorization. We understand that these can take time, but we make every effort to expedite the process for the families that we serve.

Many providers tell families that it will be a minimum of 15 days prior to receiving their loved one’s cremated remains back into their care.

While every family we serve is different, we do average a three to five-day turnaround of cremated remains. Delays usually occur when death occurs on a weekend or holiday and the primary care physician’s office is not available to receive the death certificate for signature.

The State of Virginia also requires that all legal next of kin sign a cremation authorization form and that a visual identification take place prior to cremation. At our new spacious facility, we have several cremation viewing rooms which allows the family to spend time with their loved one prior to cremation occurring.

About Cremation At Woodward Funeral Home

We are a family owned firm. We do not outsource our cremations; we have two company owned crematories.

We do not use a courier service to run our death certificates. We are not a cremation society or discount brand of a local full service funeral home.

Despite the fact that our prices are lower than traditional full service firms our service is not compromised. We believe in our price points and in serving all families the same regardless of the type of service selected.

At Woodward, when your family chooses cremation, you can trust that your loved one never leaves our care, and we will work with your family to ensure that your loved one is returned to you as soon as possible.

Contact Woodward Funeral Home

We welcome you to call us anytime at 804-477-3136 with your questions and concerns, or stop by our new facility at 2720 Enterprise Parkway, Louisa, VA 23294 to take a tour of our building..ay Louisa, Virginia 23294 or give us a call at 804-477-3136.