Funeral Planning 101

Funeral planning can be a great way to communicate your wishes to your family.   Knowing your wishes can help alleviate some stress for your family at your death.  Many an argument has been started over what mom or dad/grandma or grandpa wanted for his or her funeral.  Writing down your wishes can go along way in keeping the peace.

There are several ways that you can communicate your wishes.  We even have a Funeral PlanningWorksheet on the HDBOB website that you can use to convey your wishes.  Funeral directions are not typically something that attorneys prepare for you.  

Your Will is NOT one of these ways.  Wills are not typically reviewed until after the funeral, so funeral directions included in a Will are unlikely to be followed.  Additionally, any written documentation of your funeral plans/wishes should not be kept in your Safe Deposit Box.  Your family and/or friends may not be able to access the box on weekends or holidays.

Some places, such as the Minnesota Cremation Society and the Neptune Society, have pre-paid funeral options.*  This can also be a great way to alleviate your survivor’s stress and have your funeral wishes fulfilled.  However, there are some issues to be aware of when purchasing a pre-paid funeral arrangement, such as the funeral home going out of business before your death, or the cost of funeral arrangements fluctuating between your arrangements being made and your death.  If you do decide to pre-pay for a funeral, make sure that your family is aware of your plans and knows the funeral home with which arrangements were made.  A pre-planned, pre-paid funeral does your survivors no good if they do not know about it.

*HDBOB and this blog are not in anyway endorsing the Minnesota Cremation Society or the Neptune Society.  These are two options in a multitude.  It is always best for each individual to decide what works best for them and their funeral desires/needs.