Goodwill and Intangible Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Goodwill Disclosure [Text Block]

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

The changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill for our funeral and cemetery reporting units are as follows (in thousands):

	2012									2011
	Funeral			Cemetery			Total			Funeral			Cemetery			Total
Balance as of January 1:
Goodwill	$	1,298,350		$	209,937		$	1,508,287		$	1,244,206		$	210,072		$	1,454,278
Accumulated impairment losses	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)
Goodwill, net	1,298,350			63,143			1,361,493			1,244,206			63,278			1,307,484
Increase in goodwill related to acquisitions	20,289			—			20,289			60,933			463			61,396
Reduction of goodwill related to divestitures	(2,210		)	(41		)	(2,251		)	(4,332		)	(598		)	(4,930		)
Effect of foreign currency and other	2,879			—			2,879			(2,457		)	—			(2,457		)
	20,958			(41		)	20,917			54,144			(135		)	54,009
Balance as of December 31:
Goodwill	1,319,308			209,896			1,529,204			1,298,350			209,937			1,508,287
Accumulated impairment losses	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)	—			(146,794		)	(146,794		)
Goodwill, net	$	1,319,308		$	63,102		$	1,382,410		$	1,298,350		$	63,143		$	1,361,493

The components of intangible assets at December 31 were as follows:

	Useful life
	Minimum		Maximum	2012		2011
	(Years)			(In thousands)
Amortizing intangibles:
Covenants-not-to-compete	2	-	40	$	208,594	$	200,973
Customer relationships	10	-	20	102,481		100,423
Tradenames	5	-	5	3,600		3,600
Other	5	-	40	6,050		6,050
				320,725		311,046
Less: Accumulated amortization				207,985		189,773
Amortizing intangibles, net				112,740		121,273
Non-amortizing intangibles:
Tradenames			Indefinite	134,823		121,838
Other			Indefinite	10,140		10,140
Non-amortizing intangibles				144,963		131,978
Intangible assets, net				$	257,703	$	253,251

Amortization expense for intangible assets was $23.9 million, $25.6 million, and $25.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011, and 2010, respectively. The following is estimated amortization expense, excluding certain intangibles for which we are unable to provide an estimate because they are amortized based on specific identification in the performance of a preneed contract, for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2012 (in thousands):

2013	$	13,759
2014	12,194
2015	9,527
2016	8,708
2017	6,157