Funeral Arrangements and Planning

Advance funeral planning minimizes confusion and disagreements among loved ones, saves time and money, and helps ensure that your wishes are carried out after your death.

If you do not leave funeral instructions, it will be up to your spouse, children, or parents to decide on and make funeral arrangements. While you may trust these individuals to act on your behalf, it is usually more straightforward and cost-effective to make advance arrangements.

Because your Will may not be accessible for several weeks after your death (due to the probate process), it is not the best place to address time-sensitive issues such as funeral instructions. Thus, it is important to leave your funeral instructions with your Will Executor and/or attorney in addition to discussing your wishes with your spouse, family or others who are close to you.

You may want to include the following items in your funeral instructions:

  • Whether you prefer to be buried or cremated
  • Where you would like your remains buried or kept, and the type of container
  • Whether you would like a ceremony, and the details of this ceremony
  • What type of marker or tombstone you prefer, if any

Funeral homes typically take care of most important details, including: retrieval, transport and storage of the body; preparation of the body before the funeral; funeral arrangements; and other details of the ceremony. You may want to check out a few funeral homes to find one that offers a desirable price and set of services, and set up a plan you feel comfortable with.

Funeral Planning Checklist

Add additional funeral and/or memorial information that wasn't stated in your Will.

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