Many people wish to include in their Will some simple wishes regarding their funeral, but this is usually a simple statement regarding a preference to either be buried or cremated. Under the present law, these wishes are not legally binding. The best way to ensure your wishes will be respected is to make everything as clear as possible.
We often note that this is the only extent to which their loved ones were aware of what their funeral wishes are. However, if you have ever had to plan the funeral, you will be aware that there is a lot more to think about from the location of the service and wake to who should officiate.
Other decisions include the flowers, hymns/music and poetry choices or even the general tone of the funeral. Would your loved one prefer a more traditional service or a celebration of life? Discussions regarding all these things and budget can quickly be a source of contention between loved ones.
When several people are involved in arranging a funeral, there can be differences of opinion and potential disagreements, especially when emotions are running high. Leaving clear instructions will help everyone give you the funeral you would like.
Understandably, it’s difficult to acknowledge that you, or someone you love, will one day no longer be here. However, it’s important to ensure that your end-of-life wishes are known and respected. This can be a difficult conversation, so we recommend that you take some time to formulate your ideas in writing in your own time.
In order to help our clients do this, we have introduced a new funeral wishes form which can be used to provide as much detail as our clients would like regarding their wishes. This can be stored alongside their Will for their Executors to request, and our clients can provide copies to their loved ones to hold onto.
This form assists our clients’ loved ones to make the key decisions in relation to arranging the funeral and answers the most important questions such as:
- Is there a pre-paid funeral plan?
- Will it be a burial or cremation?
- Do you have wishes regarding the location of the service?
- Are there any more detailed burial wishes such as the depth and location?
- What flowers would you want?
- Would you like charity donations and do you have any in mind?
- Do you have a preference regarding your Coffin, the transport, tone, clothing, music, or poems?
The link to our funeral wishes form can be found on the Wills section of our website which you can access using the link below:
https://www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/our-services/private-client/wills/