Few things are as certain in life as the need to arrange a funeral on your death. Often, this is a duty that is bestowed upon the head of the family, or the closest living relative to you at the point of your passing. This can be a sensitive and difficult process, both emotionally and practically, and there are few that will find it easy. One of the best things you can do in your life is to spare the hassle and strain on your loved ones by pre-arranging your own funeral.
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Anything you arrange during your lifetime is one less thing for your family to worry about when you die, and there is no doubt this will be appreciated by those closest to you at the time. Pre-arrangement is becoming increasingly common nationwide, and people generally want to make sure they can provide as best as possible for their family following their death.
There are two types of preparation that are generally associated with funerals: pre-planning and pre-paying. Both can be organized during your lifetime if you so choose, but these two are not mutually exclusive. This means that you are free to plan your funeral, even if you don’t have the means to pay for it immediately.
Or, you can choose to pay for your funeral with minimal planning now, to save on the payment burden for yourself and your family later down the line. Pre-payments are often administered in trust by AmericanCremationAndCasket.com, a special legal device that allows for assets to be ring-fenced against other claims to them. Trusts mean that payments made in advance will be applied only to the costs of your burial and funeral, and cannot be used for alternative purposes or settling the balance of your estate.
The financial side of a person’s life is often one of the most complex elements of the first few post-death days. Unfortunately, this also coincides with the highest levels of grief and upset in the family. It is seldom an appropriate or welcomed task, and one that you should look to take care of during your own life.
There is also the crucial factor of the burial process and commitment service. While it is not often a subject people are comfortable discussing, it is important to decide for yourself if you would prefer cremation or burial. Either decision has its own spin-off requirements. For those who are cremated, ashes can be arranged to be scattered in a place that was close to you or your family during your lifetime. For burial, choosing a location and the exact type of permanent memorial requires forethought and planning in its own right.
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These are all processes that require thought ahead of time. Leaving it up to your family to sort when you die is the most stressful option for others, and there are no guarantees that your final days will be handled in a way that is to your liking. In order to take away the stress from your family at a time when they will already be suffering emotionally from your passing, pre-planning and pre-paying your funeral can take care of all of these issues.