Book excerpt: The basic premise that ethics is a major part of funeral service practice is derived from the idea that the funeral professional is entrusted with serving the bereaved survivors and the proper treatment and disposition of remains. In dealing with families in crisis, the funeral director must realize that the decision making process of these survivors may be impaired and thus susceptible to manipulation. It is therefore the task of this course to help the student of funeral service to develop a strong professional set of ethics. This knowledge will help the funeral service professional do what is proper and in the best interest of the family when they are most vulnerable.