After the death of a loved one, there are steps you must take and legal matters you need to manage. While you may want to spend time alone to grieve, you still have the responsibility of ensuring that your loved one’s affairs are in proper order to avoid complications, both personal and legal.
To make the logistics the least of your concerns, go in knowing the considerations when planning for a funeral so that you can make the process easier.
Get the Right Paperwork Together
Your loved one may have left behind important paperwork that is now vital to sorting out legal matters. These may include wills, birth certificates, marriage certificates, social security numbers, and bank accounts. You may have a specified executor in the will to carry out these tasks, but you must compile these important documents if you have any in your possession.
Determine the Funeral Service
There are many different options for life celebrations and funeral services; some individuals opt for the traditional funeral service, while others desire a more laid-back and casual affair. Know what your loved one’s preferences were and gather a team to help you with the details. This means reserving a time and date with a funeral home or venue and determining the look and decorations.
Establish Disposition and Memorialization
Disposition of the body after the service is crucial, as there are many options to consider. Some of these considerations are either the preference of the immediate family or the wishes of the deceased. Some of these disposition methods include:
- Ground burial
- Cremation with ground burial
- Cremation with an urn at home
- Entombment in a mausoleum
For burials, it is customary to pick out a headstone. There are many ways to design and customize these pieces to make them more fitting for your loved one, so it is normal to take time to pick out the right one.
Alert Friends and Family
You must not neglect alerting friends and family of your loved one’s passing. This is a sensitive matter, and you must approach this announcement with care. Write a list of everyone close to your loved one and their addresses. Make sure to get people together to help you with this task; it will require a lot of time and effort and is emotionally draining.
Give Yourself Time To Heal
Events may unfold too fast to take care of yourself, but don’t neglect your own mental and emotional wellbeing after you finish everything. Knowing how to plan for a funeral also means knowing how to heal from losing a loved one. Don’t minimize your sadness, and make sure you surround yourself with others who feel the same way.
