Q: Should I consider pre-planning my funeral as part of my overall estate planning?
A: Definitely! It is a good idea to include funeral planning as part of your estate planning for several reasons. P
rimarily, it takes the burden away from your family when it comes to making important decisions and choices regarding funeral and burial options for their loved one. Having your family know about your wishes takes the stress and pressure away from them during a very difficult time, allowing the family to focus on their loss and the family unit more than being the planner. Including funeral planning as part of your estate planning also eliminates the possible guilt that family members often feel after the funeral, wondering if they made the right choices and if their loved one would have approved of the decisions and choices that were made.
So many times, I have heard family members ask themselves questions like, “Would mom want a visitation?” or “Would dad want a service at the funeral home, in the church or simply a graveside service?” or “Would my husband want to be buried or cremated?” Finally, pre-planning can take the financial pressure and stress out of the funeral, again allowing the family more time to focus on themselves and prepare for the funeral instead of hastily planning for it.
After all, the funeral process is meant to help heal those left behind by the death of their loved one. Making those decisions ahead of time for (and with) your family will ease their minds in so many ways and give them a healthy start on their grief journey.
For more information, reach out to Huskilson’s Funeral Home http://www.huskilson.net/
