Even if you are a planner in all areas of your life, you are probably like most people and you do not like to think about dying. However, by pre-planning your funeral, you can remove a significant burden from your family. Planning a funeral right after losing somebody is stressful and can feel overwhelming. If you have already made the decisions for your family, they not only avoid the burden, but they also have the peace of knowing the plans are what you wanted.
What should be included in your pre-planned funeral arrangements? There is flexibility in creating your plan so you can select where you want to be buried, songs you want to play at the ceremony, speakers, topics, poems or verses to be read, the time alloted, the type of celebration, or anything else that is important to you.
Should I pre-pay for my funeral? It is usually not recommended that you pre-pay for your services. If the funeral home should file bankruptcy or otherwise close its business, you may lose your money; or terms and conditions sometimes change, making it different than what was expected. It is much safer to create a trust account, designated bank account, specifically designated insurance policy or other similar way to set aside the funds to pay for your funeral expenses when the time comes.
It is worth mentioning that if you have created your estate plan, your documents probably include a provision for paying your final expenses, which include the cost of your burial. Even so, you should still leave instructions regarding the final disposition of your body. For example, you should specify whether you want to be buried or cremated, as well as whether you want to be an organ donor.
If you are interested in creating an estate plan or learning more about pre-planning your funeral, contact us to schedule your appointment. The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about creating a Trust, Will, or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.