Glossary
Autopsy
An autopsy is a medical examination of a body after death to determine the cause and manner of death. It may be ordered by a coroner or medical examiner in certain deaths, or requested by the family for medical reasons.
A forensic autopsy is typically ordered by a coroner or medical examiner when a death is sudden, unexplained, violent, or unattended. A clinical or hospital autopsy is requested by the family or physician to better understand a known illness.
An autopsy does not usually prevent a viewing or an open-casket service, and it does not by itself rule out cremation. Timing can affect the funeral schedule, so families often coordinate with the funeral director.
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Common questions
- Do I have to pay for a coroner's autopsy?
- No. When a coroner or medical examiner orders a forensic autopsy because a death is sudden, violent, or unexplained, it is generally performed at public expense. A private autopsy you request for your own reasons is paid by the family and can cost several thousand dollars.
- Can I still have an open-casket viewing or cremation after an autopsy?
- Usually yes. An autopsy does not by itself prevent a viewing, an open-casket service, or cremation. It can affect the funeral schedule, so families coordinate timing with the funeral director.
- Can the family refuse an autopsy?
- When a coroner or medical examiner orders one under state law, the family generally cannot decline it. A clinical autopsy requested for medical understanding is optional and requires the family's consent.
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