The following was reported in the NAELA news:

A former Murrieta (CA) funeral director accused of targeting the elderly in a pre-paid funeral scam was convicted today of grand theft and financial elder abuse, authorities said.  Lee Ann Wyskiver, 58, faces up to six years in prison at her sentencing scheduled for April 30, said prosecutor Cormac Kehoe. Because Wyskiver suffers from health problems she was not taken into custody after the verdict was read this afternoon in a Riverside courtroom, Kehoe said.  The jury found Wyskiver guilty of three counts each of grand theft and financial elder abuse after about a day of deliberating.  Wyskiver was arrested in 2007 at her Escondido home on suspicion of pocketing some $20,000 in premiums for pre-paid burial insurance between 1998 and 2004 while she was owner of Valley Funeral Home.  Investigators said they identified nearly 20 potential victims but Wyskiver was charged with defrauding three elderly people.  Prosecutors allege Wyskiver had her clients complete insurance application forms but failed to submit them and kept the payments.

Cases such as this illustrate the importance of dealing with someone you know and trust.  While planning one's funeral is an important part of planning one's estate, you are not limited to dealing with funeral homes.  Such planning can be done through a funeral trust, using advisors that you already know and trust to help plan your estate.  If we can help you with planning your estate through a funeral trust, please call for an appointment.