No one knows how many Houston residents have specific ideas regarding their funerals. The number could surprise many people since death is not often an ordinary topic of conversation. Even so, it is something that people may want to address during the estate planning process.
Making the decision to include funeral arrangements in an estate plan is not just about having the ceremony an individual envisions, but also keeping surviving family members from having to make these decisions during an already difficult time. The instructions should be in their own document since not too many families pull out the estate plan of a recently deceased loved one right after death. Ordinarily, this does not happen until after the funeral, so if the instructions are part of another document, they could go unnoticed until it is too late.
Another recommendation is to discuss the arrangements with family members ahead of time. This lets everyone know what a Houston resident’s wishes are. It is also a good idea to let at least one person know where the written instructions are so that they can be easily accessed when needed. This document can also include people the person wants notified of his or her death. This may seem obvious, but there could be people on that list that family members may inadvertently neglect to notify.
Including funeral arrangements in the estate planning process is often overlooked. Even if someone does decide to include them, it may be in the wrong place. Having a separate document and discussing final arrangements prior to death helps make the process go more smoothly for surviving loved ones who already have enough to deal with.