A Funeral Plan vs. A Will

There are many benefits to creating a plan for your own funeral. Writing down your wishes will spare your loved ones from having to make difficult decisions while they are grieving. You can exercise more control over your final arrangements by creating a funeral plan, and any chance of disagreement among your survivors will be lessened. You can also save your survivors money by doing some comparison shopping ahead of time.

According to legal experts, a will is not a good place to specify your funeral plan. The purpose of a will is to define the distribution of property and possibly to name guardians for minor children. It should not be used to describe a funeral plan because it may not be located and acted upon until several weeks after your death.

The best way to pass on your funeral plan and internment preferences is by putting it into writing. A simple letter is sufficient, as long as your loved ones or executor knows its location. Keep it with other important papers that will be needed after your death. You should review you plan every few years to ensure that you haven’t changed your mind about any of your decisions. If your wishes have changed, you can modify your letter or add an addendum.

There are a variety of books and software products that explain exactly what type of information should be included in a letter that describes your funeral plans. Software products like Quicken WillMaker Plus provide legal documents and complete instructions on how to complete them. One important thing to consider is that not all states have laws that require survivors to honor the written funeral plans of a deceased person. You can find out more about the laws in your state on the Funeral Consumers Alliance website.

Catie
August 4, 2010