When a person dies without a funeral plan, it is frequently up to the deceased’s immediate relatives, such as surviving spouses and children, to prepare the funeral. Making your funeral preparations can help your loved ones through a difficult emotional time and prevent them from paying unnecessary expenses.
The average price for a full-service burial in 2021 was $7,848, and the average cost for a full-service cremation was $6,971, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. The deceased’s preferences may not be apparent to surviving family members when they pass away without having made a funeral arrangement.
As a result, they could select more expensive funer al services or feel under pressure to overspend to show their devotion. However, by preplanning the funeral and, in some situations, prepaying for funeral arrangements, you can protect your family from these expenditures. Seek the appropriate guidance from a knowledgeable Cherry Hill NJ elder law attorney for legal consultation.
Grieving family members may have to make decisions quickly without a strategy. After the passing of a loved one, they might not have the time to visit other funeral homes and contrast their prices. They frequently pick the first funeral home they come across rather than weighing their alternatives to determine which one is the best fit and value.
When people pre-plan their funerals, they can look into funeral homes and carefully select the specifics of their plans for the hereafter, ensuring that the rituals will be conducted according to their intentions.
Beyond selecting the funeral home, making such preparations in advance can involve:
- deciding whether to bury the remains or have them cremated
- deciding where to bury someone, perhaps near to a loved one
- Notifying loved ones of the location to scatter or store ashes
- Choosing between donating organs or cadaveric remains for study
How to organise your funeral plans
Writing down your preferences in great detail is frequently required when making funeral arrangements. Give copies of your written desires to your family members if you’d like. Additionally, those with a good concept of their last resting place might prepay a funeral home in advance, protecting the financial burden on the deceased’s loved ones.
Your wishes for end-of-life care and what to do with your remains after death can be expressed in advance directives. You can appoint a representative to make healthcare decisions on your behalf. Even though your agent’s powers typically expire upon your passing, you might give them the right to make funeral arrangements and your preferences.
