How to Pre-Plan Your Funeral

If you are the kind of person that likes to have a plan, or if you would like to take the burden off of your family when you pass away, you can pre-plan for your funeral. You can incorporate this into your estate plan or have separate plans all together, so long as it is somewhere that will be located when you pass. Here are some concrete steps that you can take:

1.     Create an estate plan so that your loved ones can avoid going through probate and paying for a long court process after you pass. A couple thousand dollars now saves tens of thousands later on, as well as the hours spent and pain it will cause to relive the sad event over and over as probate carries on.

2.     Determine if you will put money aside in trust for this specific reason or whether you would like to pay for burial/funeral insurance also known as final expense insurance. Final expense insurance is similar to a life insurance plan where payments are made to an insurance company and a benefit is put aside for your death.

The average cost of a funeral in California is just under $12,000.00. Total costs  (including end of life expenses) are just over $32,500.00.

3.     Memorialize your wishes. This is best done in a will or trust, in which case your wishes are legally binding to the extent that they are possible and legal themselves.

4.     Determine if you would like to be buried, cremated or donate your body to science. Either way, you can pre-pay for your service. You can choose a burial plot or a mausoleum placement at a cemetery. To learn about donating your body to science, click here.

5.     Find a funeral home you like and make an appointment to discuss your options with the director. You may select and pre-pay for your options. Click here for SLO County funeral homes and cemeteries.

6.     Make cemetery arrangements if necessary. Keep in mind that if you plan on being cremated and want your ashes spread, many places do not allow this, so do some research before asking your loved ones to break a law or rule.

7.     You may choose an officiant for your service, as well as plan the ceremony if you choose to. You can provide certain songs or readings and request that certain people participate.

8.     Make a guest list with contact information.

9.     Once you have made your arrangements, put the documents in a place that will be discovered upon your death and give a copy to those who will likely take the steps to plan your funeral.

10.  Rest easy knowing that your affairs are in order and ENJOY your life!

Making funeral plans for yourself is not something you want to do, but is something that will provide peace to your loved ones in the future.

To create an estate plan or trust for this occasion, please contact me.