Taking Care of Details
In the Coming days you will face many legal requirements associated with the death of a family member. We urge you not to become discouraged with this process. It will at times appear slow and insensitive to your needs, however, you should remember that there are many other families going through the same process requiring the services of the Clerk of Court and others. Be patient, you can and will complete this process. This information is NOT intended to offer legal advice. Your attorney or the Clerk of Court in the county of residence of the deceased should address any legal question. This information should only be used as a guide to assist you in the estate process.

The Clerk of Court
The clerk of court in the county of residence has agents employed to assist you with estate settlement. They will legally help you change property deeds, car titles, checking/saving accounts, lock boxes and probate wills. If you have an attorney or plan to employ the services of an attorney, contact them as soon as possible. If you plan to settle the estate, you should call the clerk of court to make an appointment. You will be advised at that time what information you should gather. You do NOT need a death certificate to make this appointment. In Rutherford County you should contact the Clerk of Court at 828-286-9136. His office is located on the main floor of the Rutherford County Courthouse.

The Death Certificate
Padgett and King will obtain certified copies of the death certificate from the Register of Deeds in the county of death. A certified copy is one with the raised seal of the Register of Deeds. A photocopy will not be accepted in most cases. We make every effort to secure this document as soon as possible. Please remember that we have little control over the physician who will sign the medical portion of the certificate. This process can often be delayed when a physician is out of town, a medical examiner case, or those deaths outside of Rutherford County. Please know that we will get these important documents into your hands as quickly as we can.

The Social Security Administration
Please see the social security link in resources for those who are eligible.

The Department of Veterans Affairs
Rutherford County VA Officer- 828-287-6185
Not every veteran is entitled to receive benefits from the VA. Most veterans or those who have served honorably can receive a United States Flag to drape the casket or be folded and used as a part of the service. A government foot marker is also available to those who wish to receive one. If the veteran is drawing disability or is service connected, he/she may receive other monetary benefits including transportation cost from the place of death to Forest City, NC and to the place of interment. Your funeral director will assist you with the proper forms for all of the above. Any information required concerning pensions should be directed to the county veterans affairs officer. The Rutherford County Veterans office is located in behind the courthouse. A copy of the veterans DD214 and Honorable Discharge will be needed. A special note about foot markers........ The Padgett and King Company will be pleased to fill out all forms necessary to obtain the marker for your veteran family member. However we are NOT responsible for any errors and or delays in obtaining the marker. This process is a direct service of the Department of Veterans Affairs and is in no way under the control of Padgett & King. In addition, we cannot install these markers. In most cases, the marker will need to be delivered to the monument company of your choosing. Any questions you might have can be directed to your funeral director. As always, we will make every effort to see that this process is as easy and efficient as possible for you.

The Insurance Company and your claims
As a service to our families, we offer insurance claims service. Padgett & King will obtain the proper forms and file the claim for you. All you need do is sign the appropriate forms and we will do the rest. Please note that some insurance companies will not cooperate with us in obtaining forms. We will advise you if this is the case with your claim. We also will need the name of the beneficiary(s) of the insurance and the policies or the policy numbers. These insurance proceeds may be assigned to Padgett and King Company to be paid directly to us for the service. This is for those insurance policies that are eligible.

Ministers, Musicians, others
A monetary gift is normally given to the ministers, musicians, and others involved in the service. We have found that many families prefer a gift of fifty to one hundred dollars be given. This is however a personal decision. Your honorarium can be mailed in a thank you card or given directly to the minister. If the service is held in our chapel, we will pay the organist a fee of fifty dollars and add the charge to your statement of funeral goods and services. This section is only intended to serve as a guide to a most frequently asked question.

Graveside matters
After about a week, the floral tributes, which were sent and placed at the graveside, should be removed. In most cases, the family is required to have the florist remove these flowers. If at all possible, we will leave our funeral canopy for a period of five to seven days. Weather conditions such as snows or storms may require early removal of the canopy