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Burials Going Green, Greener and GreenestBurials Going Green, Greener and Greenest

Perhaps the first time most people would've heard of a green burial was in the last episode, aired during summer 2005, of the blockbuster HBO series, Six Feet Under. The featured family ran a conventional funeral business and, at the end of five seasons, one of two middle-aged brothers in charge of the funeral home, Nate Fisher, died. At Nate's request, his burial was green. Green burial means, generally,

Michael Gilfix

December 1, 2008

6 Min Read
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Michael Gilfix

Perhaps the first time most people would've heard of a “green burial” was in the last episode, aired during summer 2005, of the blockbuster HBO series, Six Feet Under. The featured family ran a conventional funeral business and, at the end of five seasons, one of two middle-aged brothers in charge of the funeral home, Nate Fisher, died. At Nate's request, his burial was green.

“Green burial” means, generally, that embalming fluids are banned and the body is put into the ground with biodegradable materials only (fabric burial shrouds or simple, biodegradable coffins of renewable wood or cardboard.) Oh yes, there's also no use of cement vaults. Traditional Jews and Muslims have always had green burials, without calling them by...

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About the Author

Michael Gilfix

Gilfix & La Poll Associates, LLP

Michael Gilfix is a nationally known authority in the field of law, aging and estate planning. A 1973 graduate of Stanford Law School, he is a Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), a co-founder of NAELA, and a Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Mr. Gilfix regularly addresses professional audiences, including attorneys, physicians, certified public accountants, and financial planners, nationally as well as locally.
An entrepreneur in the legal field, Mr. Gilfix created the first legal aid program for elders in 1973. He served as Executive Director of that program, Senior Adults Legal Assistance (SALA) of Santa Clara County, for ten years. In 1983 he created the law firm that is today known as Gilfix & La Poll Associates LLP . 

Mr. Gilfix is a California legal advisor to Partnership For Caring, the national organization devoted to rights of individuals to make their own health care decisions. 
A highly respected practitioner and a prolific author, Mr. Gilfix is co-author of Tax, Estate & Financial Planning for the Elderly: Forms and Practice (Matthew Bender) and is the principal author of Medi-Cal and Asset Preservation, a book- length set of materials for practicing attorneys. He regularly contributes to a wide variety of legal journals such as Trusts and Estates Magazine, where his writings have discussed the role of personal values in estate planning, life care communities, and asset preservation planning.