Posts Tagged ‘Funeral Planning’

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Online Store for Burial Pre-Planning

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Online Store for Burial Pre-Planning

With the Internet, it’s a new world for pre-planning your final wishes and making advance arrangements. Many sites offer pre-planning advice, guides, and more. Good pre-planning resources can also be found on our resource section at www.iMortuary.com. But, when it comes time to make your burial pre-arrangements, there is something new – burialplanning.com.

It used to be that consumers visited a number of cemeteries to learn about their options and make purchases based on their plans. Along the way, they dealt with a myriad of sales people and mingled alongside grieving families making arrangements for someone who had recently passed. The entire process of pre-planning is changing dramatically.

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How to Discuss Pre-Arrangements and Estate Planning

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

How to Discuss Pre-Arrangements and Estate Planning By definition, pre-arrangements are any funeral and burial arrangements made before the time of death, much like creating a will. They can range from a few simple requests (preferred music at the ceremony or the burial method) to more elaborate plans (including all the details and payments of the burial). Like estate planning, they , leaving little room for conflict and confrontation between the loved ones you leave behind.

People choose pre-arrangements for a variety of reasons. Some people prefer to make the decisions in advance as a way to ensure their needs and wishes are respected. Others wish to relieve their family of the burden of decision-making during a difficult time. Still others prefer the peace of mind of knowing that all the financial planning has been taken care of. No matter what the reason, however, one thing remains true for almost anyone: the topic of funeral arrangements can be one that is difficult to navigate.

How to Broach the Subject of Pre-Arrangement
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Legal Issues That May Arise After Death

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Legal Issues That May Arise After DeathThe death of a loved one can be one of the most trying times in a person’s life.  Between planning for the funeral, gathering friends and family together to grieve and dealing with your own emotions, it can undoubtedly be an exhausting and trying time.  However, it’s important to remember that the time after your loved one’s death is crucial to your own financial and legal well-being, and there may be several issues and affairs of the estate that need to be addressed once the funeral is over.

Of course, one of the most common legal issues that arise after the death of a loved one is that of finances, especially when it comes to any debts or unpaid bills that are left behind.  If your loved one leaves behind a will and an estate with clear instructions as to how assets should be allocated, then there shouldn’t be many legal ramifications for you and your relatives.  If there’s no will, however, then it might be a good idea to hire a lawyer and an accountant, as you’ll encounter several legal and financial issues when dividing assets amongst relatives, creditors and lenders.

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Simple Preparations For The Day Of The Funeral

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Simple Preparations For The Day Of The FuneralPlanning a funeral can be such a grueling and stressful task, especially during such a sad and trying time.  Between arranging which funeral home the service should take place at, ordering flowers for the service and coordinating the arrival of friends and family members, you may dread the additional stress that the day of the funeral may bring.  However, if you’re planning a funeral for a dearly departed loved one, there are tips and techniques that you can use to make the day run more smoothly – so you can spend more time with friends and loved ones who are there to support you.

Take Care Of Little Details. This is where a funeral home can come in handy, since you’ll need assistance in making sure that all little details are seen to with exacting care and attention.  For example, will you use family members as pallbearers, or will the home provide their own?  Have you already chosen music to perform at the service?  What about any eulogies that may be read during the service?  Go over the details one last time with the funeral director to make sure that nothing is skipped over.  Staff members at the funeral home will usually take you aside before the beginning of the service to make sure that everything will go according to plan, so wait for them to take the initiative.

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Planning Your Travel To A Funeral

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

Planning Your Travel To A FuneralPlanning your travel to a funeral can be a stressful and burdensome task; between grieving for the loss of a family member or loved one and alerting others to the service, comparing the best airfare hardly seems like an activity that you want to give your time and energy to.  However, there are certain tricks that you can use to not only get the best airfare, but to make traveling to a funeral a smooth and stress-free experience for everyone involved.  Use these techniques when it’s time to plan your travel, and you’ll spend less of your precious time playing part-time travel agent and have more time to grieve and remember the life of the deceased.

Unless your loved one was gravely ill for some time, purchasing airfare to attend a funeral can often be quite costly, as funerals are usually held less than a week from the date of death.  You can end up paying a lot of money for last-minute airfare tickets – unless, of course, you ask for bereavement airfare discounts.  Bereavement airfare is typically available for family members of the deceased who are traveling to a funeral, and can be booked right up until departure time.  You won’t be able to secure bereavement airfare through travel websites, so call airlines and ask about their special discounts.  You can grab airfare for a discount of up to 50 percent off, with some airlines even offering 75 percent off a full fare.  However, if your travels require more than one airline, your bereavement airfare will only be available on the requested flight.  Call the other airlines to ensure that you’re being offered discounted airfare.

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How to Write Your Own Will

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

How to Write Your Own WillHow To Write Your Own Will

No one likes to talk about his or her own death.  However, unless you hire an estate lawyer or write your will yourself, you could end up leaving your family and other loved ones with a massive legal bill and other problems that could prove to be a difficult burden.

Wills are not just for those with an extensive amount of assets; wills can cover everything from how you’d like certain heirlooms and trinkets distributed to loved ones, who you want to look after your children should you die before them and what assets you’d like liquidated in order to pay for any debts that you might leave behind.  In short, a will is absolutely essential for both your family’s peace of mind, and that of your own.

Yet if you’re not sure of where to begin, writing a will can seem like a daunting if not downright impossible task.  This is why many individuals choose to hire a lawyer for assistance, as a good lawyer can answer any difficult questions about legal processes that happen to your estate upon your death.  Before you choose a lawyer, however, make sure you arrange a time to meet where you can ask certain questions that will help clarify if they have your best interests at heart:

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