How it works, start to finish.

Step 1 — The first call

Whether it is 2 p.m. on a Tuesday or 3 a.m. on a holiday, your call to (214) 550-7369 is answered live by a Vargas-London care advisor — never an answering service, never a phone tree. On that first call we ask only what we genuinely need: your name, the name of your loved one, where they are resting (home, hospital, hospice, nursing facility, or the medical examiner's office), and whether you would like the transfer into our care to begin immediately or your family needs a few hours together first. Both answers are entirely appropriate.

If you are not sure what you need — or a death has not occurred and you are simply preparing — that is a normal first call too. Nothing is owed on the first call, and no decision is required during it. If you prefer to start online, the arrangement form reaches the same team, and a care advisor calls you back within 30 minutes, day or night. Before you dial, our short what-to-have-ready checklist shows the details that will eventually be useful — but never delay the call to gather them.

Step 2 — Transfer into our care

When a death has occurred, a transfer team is dispatched within the hour and is typically at your side in 60–90 minutes, anywhere in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Our team arrives in an unmarked vehicle, treats your home and your loved one with unhurried respect, and never rushes a family that needs a moment before the transfer begins.

From the moment of transfer, chain-of-custody identification is verified at every stage — transfer, preparation, cremation or casketing, and return — so your loved one is never out of our care. If the death occurred under hospice or hospital care, we coordinate directly with the nursing staff so you do not have to relay messages. If the Medical Examiner is involved, we track the release and keep you informed. You never need to call around.

Step 3 — The arrangement conference

The arrangement conference is the working meeting where the funeral or cremation is actually planned. We typically schedule it for the next day, at the time and setting you prefer: our North Dallas office on Greenville Avenue, your home if travel is difficult, a video call, or entirely by phone. Bilingual (English/Spanish) service is available at every option, and the conference usually runs about 90 minutes — though we never rush a family that needs more time.

A licensed funeral director walks you through each decision in order: confirmation of identification, disposition choice (cremation or burial), the shape of any service or gathering, the obituary and where it will be published, memorial selections such as an urn or keepsakes, and the written financial paperwork — including the itemized Statement of Funeral Goods and Services required by the FTC Funeral Rule. Bring a photo ID, and see what to have ready for the rest; anything you are missing, we help you track down.

Step 4 — The service or cremation

Every cremation is performed at a licensed Texas crematory, typically completing in 7–10 business days from the date of passing — the timing depends on the attending physician's signature, any Medical Examiner review, and county permits, and your advisor keeps you informed at each stage. Texas permits family-witnessed cremation, and we honor that choice for religious or personal reasons; witnessed cremations are scheduled in advance.

For a memorial or traditional funeral, we coordinate everything through one advisor — the chapel or your chosen venue, the printed program and guest register, flowers, music, the procession, and cemetery arrangements. Your family is never passed between departments, and nothing appears on the final paperwork that was not agreed to in writing at the conference.

Step 5 — Aftercare and paperwork

After the service or cremation, the paperwork continues — and so do we. We file the death certificate with the State of Texas and order your certified copies; most families need 6 to 10, and they generally arrive about three weeks after the date of passing. The day cremated remains are ready, we notify you — pick them up in person or we ship them anywhere in the continental United States.

If your loved one was a veteran, we file the VA burial allowance and coordinate national-cemetery honors. If there is life insurance, we file the assignment directly with the carrier so most families pay nothing out of pocket at the time of service. And when you need help knowing what to cancel, transfer, or claim, our estate settlement guide and care team remain available long after the service ends.

What's included at each price

The three packages below are complete prices — the same for every family, in every ZIP code we serve. Full details, the hospice price-lock guarantee, and the General Price List are on our pricing page.