Planning your own funeral is something that not a lot of people even think about doing. But by having your funeral pre-planned, your family won’t have to deal with it when the time comes. It doesn’t matter if you are terminally ill or already old, funeral pre-planning is beneficial for all. Here’s why:
1. Take care of legal paperwork
Funeral pre-planning in Taylorsville and other places isn’t just about choosing what your marker or headstone should say. It also comes with the legal stuff that you would want to take care of while you are able. Get the help of an attorney to help you set up your last will, first and foremost. Having a will for your estate will eliminate the complication of inheritance for the people you leave behind, which will help the grieving process be less harrowing for them.
Next, you can specify who will take care of your funeral arrangements and make decisions on your behalf by creating a legal document. You can do this by filling out a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care or DPOAHC. Then, have it signed by the person you chose and notarized by a public notary. Your DPOAHC is now a legally binding document and should honor your wishes accordingly.
2. Choose a type of service
There are several types of funeral services that you can choose from, albeit not that many. For what happens to your body after your death, you can choose among burial, cremation, or donation. Apart from that, you would need to think about the following factors:
- Casket or urn
- Gravestone and descriptions
- Location of interment
- Location of service
- Type of service
- Photos for display
- Obituary
- Flower arrangements
- Officiant to lead the service
- Person for eulogy
- Person to read chosen passages
- Pallbearers
- Clothes you will wear
- Food and beverages
There are a lot more things that need planning, but a funeral home can help you with everything.
3. Take care of finances
You don’t want to saddle your family with the funeral costs when you die. In the U.S., it can take from $7,000 to $15,000 to manage a funeral, which is a sum that not all families have on hand. Therefore, make sure you have enough money by the time you pass away. You can secure the funds by having life insurance, a pre-need contract with the funeral home, saving up the money, or liquidating your assets when the time comes near.
4. Let your family know about your plans
Most families won’t be comfortable talking about a family member’s impending death, but it’s necessary. Let your immediate family members (or at least those that are mature enough to handle the information) of your funeral plans, your final wishes, and where they can find the legal documents you have prepared. When the time comes, it will be easier for them to process grief without having to mind the arrangements.
The death of a family member is a deeply emotional time. If you don’t want your loved ones to deal with funeral services amidst the grief, pre-plan your funeral so that you get precisely what you want for your last farewell.
