Funeral Planning Tips
- Consider contacting your loved one’s local pastor, rabbi, or priest to discuss opportunities for holding the funeral at the related house of worship, requesting his or her involvement in the service, and whether her or she has any recommended funeral homes. Often the house of worship has free resources that can help with meals, funeral set up/clean up, and music for the ceremony.
- Remember that honoring your loved one’s life with dignity and respect is top priority for planning any funeral; however, do not feel pressured to spend outside of your budget or go over-the-top for extras. Try to keep in mind what was most important to your loved one and focus on creating a space where these things are highlighted.
- Involve family, friends, and spiritual leaders in the funeral planning. Asking for help and advice and assigning tasks to others, will help ease your burden and give others the opportunity to show their love and respect to you, the decedent, or the family of the decedent. Remember that people WANT to help! Involving other during this difficult time helps them with their grieving journey just as much as receiving the support, may help you in yours.
- If you are planning on paying for the funeral and burial out of estate assets, most probate laws set a limit on the amount that is classified as a top tier/class 1 debt. Usually the limit is at or under $5,000. Debts in this tier are the first debts to get repaid out of the estate assets. Any amount over the set limit will be classified as a lower debt class and will only get reimbursed after all other debts have been paid. (e.g. Taxes, credit card, loans, etc.)
Additional Considerations:
- Identification of the will and other important papers is discussed in more detail in the Task section -Get Organized & Gather Important Paperwork; however, identifying the will may be key to planning the funeral in accordance with your loved one’s wishes. Additionally, the will may have details on how he/she would like the funeral to be performed, paid for, etc.
- Choose an organization to receive gifts in lieu of flowers or set up a scholarship fund for children or grandchildren that people can donate to
- Keep a list of those who send gifts, flowers, meals, etc.
- Schedule someone to watch the house/residence the day of the funeral
- Be sure to keep detailed records/invoices of any burial, cemetery, and funeral costs. These expenses should be reimbursed by estate funds and they also may impact the type of probate for which the estate qualifies.
Want to Learn More?
Want more detailed guidance on closing out the affairs of your loved one after the funeral, including a FREE assessment to help you determine if you need to file probate? After They Pass provides a detailed and customized guide to help you complete the process of closing out your loved one’s affairs. Our service includes over 120 forms, applications, and letters, many of which are auto-filled with your loved one’s details and customized based on your estate circumstances. We even include auto-filled social security and veteran’s benefit applications and probate court forms! Learn more here.
Free Funeral Planning Checklists:
The following funeral preparation checklists provide additional details and guidance on planning a funeral.
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