Florida Medical Examiners Commission and 15 district medical examiners

A class action lawsuit alleges that Florida medical examiners illegally charge a fee to approve a cremation or a burial at sea and that these fees are unauthorized and improper. The suit, on behalf of Margaret Watts of Watts Funeral Services Inc. and Southern Crematory Inc., claims that in the past few years, medical examiners have charged a $25 - $30 fee for a permit directly from funeral directors and crematoriums. One funeral director in Tallahassee says he pays $25 for every permit he needs for a cremation, which is then charged to the family.