Estate planning is something that you do for the benefit of those that you love, and there can be more to it than getting financial resources into their hands.  It is useful to sit back and envision what they will be facing when you do in fact pass away in an immediate sense.

When a loved one dies it is a shocking event even if you anticipated it because you can’t quite wrap your head around how you will feel even when you know that it is inevitable.  During a time like this you really don’t want to be charged with a lot of tasks, and the last thing that you want to is have to politic a particular position with your family members.

With the above in mind you may want to take action beforehand to assert your wishes with regard to your final arrangements.  There are a lot of decisions that must be made and they are best made by the individual in question.  Many people have specific preferences regarding things like cremation or burial and the exact nature of the memorial service or if they even want a memorial service at all.

If you don’t make your wishes known no one will know how you would have liked them to proceed. Should this be the scenario, people can wind up disagreeing and this makes a difficult situation that much worse.

Should you be interested in asserting your choices in writing while making financial provisions, simply take a moment to get in touch with an experienced Indianapolis estate planning attorney to arrange for an informative consultation.

Frank & Kraft, Attorneys at Law is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.

When you are planning your estate it could be said that the overarching purpose is to make preparations that will benefit your loved ones at the time of your passing.  Of course the first thing that comes to mind in this regard is the proper situation of your assets, and this is as it should be.  In addition, the matter of your funeral is something to consider as well, and many people choose to make funeral preparations while they’re still alive for a couple of different reasons.

Getting back to that broad purpose of estate planning the point is to make things as easy as possible on your family members during a time when they will be experiencing a great deal of emotional upheaval.  If you don’t make preparations in advance it will be up to your loved ones to make final arrangements, and this can cause a lot of stress on a number of different levels.

When you’re in an emotional state the last thing you want to do is scour the phone book or Internet for a funeral home, identify the best resource, and go through the painstaking task of making decisions without knowing exactly what the deceased would want.  There are sensitive issues such as whether or not the body should be buried or cremated, the extravagance of the casket or urn, and the way that the deceased will be memorialized.  As difficult as it is for one person to make these decisions, if multiple family members are involved there can be disagreements, and once again this is the last thing anyone needs under the circumstances.

When you take the time to plan your funeral before you pass away and take control of your own affairs “through the finish line” as it were, you spare your loved ones from this stressful exercise while making sure that your own preferences are honored.

Frank & Kraft, Attorneys at Law is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.

When you pass away, your loved ones will be faced with planning your funeral. This can be a very difficult process during their time of grief, especially considering the array of decisions they’ll have to make and the huge expense that comes with a funeral. You can make this time easier for your family by making many of your arrangements before you pass away and since you have time to shop around, you may also save them a little money in the process.

What Arrangements Should You Make?

You can plan as little or as much of your funeral as you’d like. Your basic arrangements should include whether you prefer burial or cremation and if you choose burial, you should purchase a burial plot. Purchasing several family plots at a time can save money and also ensures that your loved ones will be buried near you.

When preparing for your funeral, you should meet with several funeral homes. They can help you pick out a package that meets your needs. There are however, some drawbacks to prepaying your funeral. Like any other business, funeral homes can go bankrupt and when you do pass away, your chosen facility may no longer be around. You may move between now and then, making the funeral home you selected inconvenient for your family.

To alleviate these concerns, you may just want to visit the homes and make your preferences known in your estate plan. If however, you do decide to purchase any services in advance, be sure to keep receipts with your final plan documents.

Stating Your Wishes

After your preparations are complete, advise your family and make a record of your decisions. You should include what arrangements you have already made and what still remains to be done. Include any preferences you may have, including music you’d like at your service or the person you’d like to conduct your funeral. Do not use your Last Will and Testament for this purpose as this document may not be read until after your funeral. Instead, with the assistance of your attorney, create a separate document stating your final plans and let your loved ones know where the document is located.

Paying for It

During your estate planning process, you should include a plan for funeral expenses. Your life insurance policy can be used for purpose or you can also create a separate account, often referred to as a Totten Trust. Another option is a Funeral Trust which allows you to set monies aside in a “protected” bucket, which can then be available immediately for final expenses if you pass away. By including this huge expense in your estate plan, you remove any concerns your family may have about how to pay for the service you’ve chosen.

To learn more about making your final preparations, consult with a qualified estate planning attorney.

Frank & Kraft, Attorneys at Law is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.