Include Funeral Plans in Your Estate Planning Efforts

Include Funeral Plans in Your Estate Planning Efforts

As you go through your estate planning processes, you should make early plans for your funeral as well to help ease the burden you place on your estate executor. It might not be the most pleasant process, but planning for your funeral can make matters significantly less stressful for your loved ones after your death.

Some important considerations to make include the following:

  • Burial or cremation? If you would rather your body be cremated, consult your attorney about the laws affecting the process. For example, state laws will regulate where your ashes are allowed to be scattered, if scattering is your wish. Laws might also govern who is allowed to request cremation.
  • How will your funeral be financed? Funerals are expensive, which means you either need to have allocated funds from your estate to pay for the ceremony or figure out some other type of arrangement. Some individuals, for example, choose to include life insurance policies payable to an irrevocable trust that finances the funeral. You might also simply set up a separate bank account for funeral expenses. Your estate planning attorney will help you figure out what your best option is.
  • What types of stipulations do you have? Is there a specific format for the funeral ceremony you want? Do you wish to be wearing certain clothes when buried? Do you want a certain song played at your funeral? You can account for any of these preferences in your estate plan so that your family has clear guidelines.

To learn more about funeral planning as part of your estate plan, speak with a knowledgeable Tampa attorney at BaumannKangas Estate Law.