My dad, 94, prepaid for his funeral 20 years ago. He just died and the florist’s gone out of business and his casket is out of stock. What now?

0While prepaying for a funeral can save your loved ones a lot of hassle, it can also create unexpected problems after you're gone.A funeral with a viewing and burial costs $7,848 on average as of 2026, while a funeral with cremation costs $6,970.

With burial costs coming in so high, some people decide they want to spare their family the financial burden by prepaying. Prepaying can also give the deceased person more control over what happens after they pass. For example, if the son wants Dad cremated, but Dad wants a viewing, Dad gets his way when he prepays.

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Unfortunately, paying in advance for a funeral can have pitfalls, especially if you pay many years before your death. Things could change in the interim, and options you wanted, and perhaps even paid for, could become unavailable.

Let’s say, for example, that after the death of his wife, who had no estate plan at all, Louis’ dad made a detailed funeral plan to spare his three kids the hassle. The only problem is that this happened two decades ago. Now, Dad just died at 94, but when Louis tried to execute the plans that Dad had made, he ran into a bunch of snags.

The florist his dad selected is out of business, the casket is no longer being manufactured, the priest he’d hoped to officiate has retired and even some of the guests he’d hoped would eulogize him have also died.

Now Louis is left struggling to figure out how to honor his dad’s legacy. Fortunately, there are some options, and experts have weighed in on the best approach.

While Louis is frustrated that Dad’s plans aren’t going to pan out, the good news is that all is not lost — including, most likely, the funds Dad shelled out for prepaid floral arrangements with a florist who shut its doors years ago.

“Suppliers go out of business and materials or manufacturing adjustments occur,” Caleb M. Klein, a licensed funeral director with Loving Ceremony, told Moneywise. “This happens with casket and urn selections as well as third-party vendors such as florists. Funeral directors handle this on a regular basis and are experienced in making things right in these situations.”

Jamie Sarche, director of pre-planning at Feldman Mortuary, agreed, telling Moneywise, “The first step is to have the funeral home review the original arrangements and determine what was actually purchased or guaranteed versus what was simply documented as a preference.”

Sarche explained that “if the plan is funded, the funeral home would be obligated to provide an equivalent or better casket, and they can easily find another florist.” Klein elaborated on these requirements, making clear that the funeral home is responsible for finding a “comparable product.”

“This comes down to materials and quality,” he explained. “If the casket on the preplanned funeral contract is a 16-gauge, brushed stainless steel casket, then the replacement should be at least the same or better quality.”

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The casket issue isn’t the only thing worrying Louis. He also has the shuttered florist to contend with.

Fortunately, Klein said this should be easier than solving the casket problem, commenting, “When outside vendors such as caterers, florists, and other items are put on a preplanned funeral, they are often put into a non-guaranteed cash advance section of the contract. This means that money placed there will be honored however the family may wish to use it.”

Klein said that Louis could use the funds for a different florist. He could also use them for other things, like death certificates and other miscellaneous expenses. And he could even be refunded after final payments are made to the funeral home if there’s a surplus in the cash advance.

With that in mind, Louis should likely stick as closely as possible to his dad’s wishes. As Kerri Koen, an estate planning attorney and cofounder of Modern Legacy Law Group, told Moneywise, “your goal should be to preserve your parent’s intent, such as a certain color, style, type of wood, religious symbolism, or favorite flower, rather than treating the unavailable item as an all-or-nothing requirement.”

This means choosing a similar casket, finding Dad’s favorite flowers, and perhaps even asking the priest to come out of retirement for the day or recommend someone Dad would like.

“When a parent pre-plans a funeral, they’re usually trying to give their family a gift, not a burden,” Tiffany A. O’Connell, CEO and founding partner of O’Connell Law, told Moneywise. “If the exact flowers, casket, or other details are no longer available, the family shouldn’t feel guilty. The goal is to honor the spirit of the parent’s wishes, not recreate every detail perfectly.”

If Louis can do that, then he should be able to use the prepaid funds and create a funeral his dad would be proud of.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.