Establish Funeral Arrangements In Your Estate Plan

Your Estate Plan Can Help You Choose How You Leave this World

You certainly cannot plan your entrance into this world. But you can absolutely plan your exit from it down to the smallest details. And, as we have learned in the past year and a half, once you have a family and some assets, it’s never too soon to plan for the eventuality of your own death.

Making sure to establish funeral arrangements in your estate plan helps to ensure your wishes are met and that this burden is not passed down to family.

If you’ve ever lost someone close—especially suddenly—you know how overwhelming the days, weeks, and months can be. Even simple tasks feel difficult, let alone making important decisions.

Having an estate plan in place can ease that burden. It provides clarity during an emotional time and helps prevent conflict among loved ones when tensions are already high.

If you’re not quite ready for an estate plan, you should definitely have a will.

However, a key advantage of an estate plan is its power to minimize the probate process and its expenses, delays, and loss of privacy.

The type of information to record in your final arrangements document includes:

• Whether you want a funeral or memorial service;
• Where the service should be held;
• Who should be specifically notified of your death;
• Whether you want to be cremated or buried;
• Where you would like your ashes stored or disposed of or where you want to be buried;
• And, if you have money set aside to pay for your final expenses you’ll want to designate where that money is.

You can also include details like the music you want played at your service. While none of us knows when our time will come, we can plan in ways that ease the burden on those we leave behind.

Thinking ahead about how to care for your loved ones is an act of love. It doesn’t have to feel heavy or fearful. It reflects thoughtfulness, compassion, and care.

Don’t get caught off-guard.

You can take lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and put a plan in place. Creating an estate plan that includes funeral arrangements ensures your wishes are clear. It also means your loved ones won’t have to make difficult decisions during an already emotional time.

Planning ahead brings peace of mind. It protects your family from unnecessary stress and ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes.

   

Looking to find an experienced estate lawyer in the Georgia area who is skilled in asset protection and estate plan preparation? Shannon Pawley is an attorney in Georgia with expertise in estate planning and asset protection. Shannon can provide assistance with creating an estate plan to include making a will and how to establish a trust properly. If you have questions about asset protection or questions about making an estate plan, reach out to Shannon and she will be glad to help answer all the estate planning questions you might have!