Legacy Assurance Plan: “I Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead…” | How To Take Control Now to Plan Your Final Arrangements

Summary: In many ways, final arrangements are to help the living. Whether it is a moving funeral or a beautiful grave memorial, these things help the living as they seek to honor and remember the departed. One way you can help your loved ones who will survive you is by taking control of your final arrangements. With clear instructions from you regarding how you want your final arrangement handled, your loved ones can proceed with confidence that the decisions they make as they memorialize you are ones that will honor you by reflecting your values and desires. With this confidence, your loved ones can gain a degree of peace of mind in an otherwise unavoidably stressful time.

Whether you live in Florida, Georgia, Arizona or any of a number of other places, there’s a chance you’ve seen it as you drove down the road. The billboard depicts an older woman in a straw hat, a multicolored purse and a garish pink or orange dress with large white flowers. The caption atop the billboard somberly warns, “You always said you wouldn’t be caught dead in that dress. You’d better tell them now.”

This humorous billboard is typically used to advertise the services of a funeral home or mortuary. The implication these advertisements seeks to convey is something of a public service announcement. If you have certain desires and opinions regarding your funeral, burial or other final arrangements, it is important to communicate those wishes, while you’re still alive, to the people who will be handling those arrangements after you’re gone. If you have preferences but fail to tell anyone, then you may be placing yourself at risk of being… caught dead in that dress you always said you wouldn’t be caught dead in.

Of course, taking control and planning for your final arrangements can achieve much more than just ensuring that you’re not buried in unattractive clothing. Planning can also ensure that your loved ones know exactly what you truly want, and your family won’t have to guess about what your actual goals were. This can include your choice of cemetery, whether you’ll be buried or cremated and what type of funeral service or remembrance ceremony you’d like to have.

If you don’t communicate your wishes, you’ll probably be adding to your loved ones’ stress at what will already be a stressful time. With some families, there may be a risk that, without preferences clearly stated and communicated, the surviving loved ones might fight regarding how the final arrangements should be completed. Even if you have a harmonious family and arguments are not a problem, your final arrangements may still be stressful if you haven’t communicated your desires, as your loved ones worry and fret regarding whether or not the choices they’re making on your behalf match the ones that you would have made if you were making them yourself.

There are various ways to get your wishes put down into writing. Indiana, for example, has a recognized legal document called a “Funeral Planning Directive.” It is somewhat similar to an Advance Directive (Living Will,) except that it covers the creator’s final arrangements. Most states do not have an official legal document dedicated strictly to final arrangement planning. However, there are ways to incorporate your final arrangement preferences into your estate plan, even if your state doesn’t have a recognized legal document for funeral planning. Including a set of instructions to your loved ones regarding final arrangements that you keep with estate plan, for example, may provide valuable comfort, insight and guidance.

This article is published by the Legacy Assurance Plan and is intended for general informational purposes only. Some information may not apply to your situation. It does not, nor is it intended, to constitute legal advice. You should consult with an attorney regarding any specific questions about probate, living probate or other estate planning matters. Legacy Assurance Plan is an estate planning services-company and is not a lawyer or law firm and is not engaged in the practice of law. For more information about this and other estate planning matters visit our website at www.legacyassuranceplan.com.