Last updated June 10, 2026
Memorials and scatterings come with rules, and they change from one place to the next. Here is how we work within them, and where responsibility sits, in plain language.
Forever Places plans your memorial and arranges the trusted local people who carry the work out, whether that is a scattering, a tree, or a bench or plaque. For cemetery plot locating, we do the research and introduce you, and you make the arrangements directly. We do not take possession of remains, and we do not ourselves scatter ashes, build, cast, or install anything. That work is done by the vetted providers we arrange, and the final decisions stay with you.
Where ashes may be scattered varies by country, region, park, beach, and waterway, and the rules change over time. Part of our research is finding out what is permitted where you have in mind, so that anything we suggest can be done properly and respectfully.
We never take possession of remains. A scattering is carried out by a trusted local we arrange, or by your family directly. Responsibility for following the rules in that place sits with whoever carries it out, and with the family.
Placing a memorial on public or private land needs the permission of the owner or the relevant authority. We find out who to ask, secure the permission, and arrange the makers and installers who do the work. We coordinate it; the manufacture and installation themselves are done by those vetted parties, not by us.
Availability, eligibility, and cost for a cemetery plot are set by the cemetery, the local authority, or the country, including any religious or residency requirements. We locate the cemetery, find out what is possible, and connect you with the right office or caretaker. You make the arrangements directly with them.
Our fee is a flat charge for the arranging we do, agreed before any work begins. The providers who carry the work out, such as a local for a scattering, a grower for a tree, or a maker for a bench, are paid by you directly, at their own price, and we never add to it. If a provider offers us a discount, it goes to you. For cemetery plot locating, our flat research fee covers our work, and any plot or cemetery costs are paid by you directly to them. The done-for-you memorial site is the one exception: we build it ourselves, so its flat fee is the whole cost with no outside provider. Your Guide lays out exactly what your fee covers, and anything paid directly by you, before you commit to anything.
This page is general information to help you understand how the process works. It is not legal advice, and rules vary and change. Before you proceed, confirm the current requirements with the relevant authority, and seek professional advice where you need it.
If anything here is unclear, start a conversation and a Guide will talk it through with you, or see our common questions.