Lauren Richwine is the owner of Death Done Differently, a death doula business in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Lauren works to educate individuals with terminal diagnoses of their options and acts to fulfill their chosen end-of-life plan. Lauren offers multiple individualized services, including one-on-one consultations, legacy letter writing, and mentorships for others learning to talk about death differently. She also gives generalized educational lectures to large groups, like hospice organizations and churches. 

She does not engage in any conduct or activities that require technical expertise. She does not provide medical care, embalm or store remains, or operate a physical structure or building for such purposes. Nor does she hold money in trust for funeral goods and services that will be used at an unknown point in the future when someone dies. These actions are left to others in the death care community that are trained to perform those tasks.

Still the state of Indiana wants to require her to get a funeral license and purchase a funeral home that will not be used. That’s why Lauren has teamed up with IJ to fight back against this licensing scheme.

Related Case