Would you trust your loved ones to know your wishes for your funeral and burial? In many cases, family members do not have a clear sense of what you may want. If you do not Write Down Your Funeral Plans for your funeral when creating your estate plan, California law dictates the order of priority of people who are entitled to make those decisions on your behalf. You may find that the person you would prefer to be in charge is not the same person who is granted that authority under the law. Fortunately, you can avoid potential misunderstandings by taking time to write down your funeral plans in advance.
Write Down Your Funeral Plans
Why should you consider writing down your funeral plans? Writing these plans down increases the likelihood that you will be given a funeral that is in line with your wishes. It also removes the stress that is placed on your loved ones when they are tasked with making these choices. After your death, your loved ones will already be facing a stressful time. Writing down your funeral wishes can help to minimize that strain.
In order to ensure that your written funeral instructions are legally binding, ask yourself the following questions:
- Are the instructions clear, complete, and unambiguous?
- Have you made payment arrangements in advance?
- Have you set aside sufficient funds to cover your funeral plans?
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