Planning for Death

Cremations are among the cremation services offered in Beltsville, MD. But before cremations comes death, and before death comes life. You may have a very detailed and full plan of the things you want to accomplish, do, and see during your lifetime. You are probably actively working right now toward something that has been on your life plan for a very long time.

If it’s a special anniversary trip or a long-awaited family reunion or a much-anticipated wedding, lots of effort, energy, and planning is going into it to make sure everything is just right. You’re carefully setting aside time and money to make this significant event happen.

Your death, however, will be the last significant event in your life. Have you spent the same kind of time and effort to prepare for it? If you haven’t, here are a few things you need to do to get ready.

First, have a will done. Wills are a legal mechanism that lets you distribute your personal property and assets to the people you want to have them after you have died. If you die without a will, then your estate will go into probate and a judge will decide how your personal property and assets are distributed. Their decisions about distribution are not likely to match your decisions about distribution.

Second, make sure you have an advance directive. Advance directives include things like a medical power of attorney, a living will, a Do Not Resuscitate order, a Do Not Intubate order, and a durable power of attorney. Except for the durable power of attorney, which lets you appoint someone to handle your legal and financial affairs if you are alive, but unable to do so yourself, the rest of the legal documents let you specify what kind of medical care you want at the end of life and who you want to make medical decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself.

One of the most important ways you can plan for death is to get your financial affairs in order. Hiring a financial planner may be the best way to ensure that your assets are taken care of and that your debts are paid off as quickly as possible.

One thing most financial planners will tell people who are planning for death is to reduce the amount of credit (and credit cards and credit accounts) they have. They will also advise couples who’ve had joint financial accounts all of their married lives to each get small separate bank accounts in their own name and at least one major credit card in their name only so that each of them can establish their own credit record.

After you’ve met with a financial advisor, create a list of all your assets. Be sure to include account numbers, online access information, and any other pertinent information that your spouse or executor will need to handle the assets. Don’t forget to include burial insurance policies and all life insurance policies that you have.

Create a document that spells out your funeral wishes. Be as detailed and as specific as possible so that your spouse and family know exactly what you want and don’t want.

Finally, give a copy of your advance directive documents to the person (or people) you’ve chosen to be your medical power of attorney and your durable power of attorney. Be sure that your spouse or your executor (if they’re not the same) have a copy of your will and a copy of your list of assets.

If you want more information about planning for death before cremation services in Beltsville, MD, you can talk with our expert staff at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. You can drop by our funeral home at 4400 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville, MD, 20705, or you can contact us today at (301) 937-1707.