No one likes to think about what will happen when they die. It is one aspect of the future that many do not dwell on or like to prepare for, though everyone should consider the latter. Being well prepared for when the time comes is not only a way to have peace of mind, but it is also a way of committing a final loving act for your family, after you are departed. When people who are well advanced in years or suffering from a terminal illness, there are two things which they should take to do. The first is to prepare a will, and the second is to plan the funeral and make arrangements. The will not only helps enforce the funeral arrangements, it also helps ensure that financial issues are addressed regarding them, especially if they are not entirely prepaid.
Where to begin with setting up a will.
In Australia, as with most countries, it is highly advised that you retain the services of a lawyer to help establish and execute the will. They can help you plan out and appropriately word your will to fully reflect your wishes. Lawyers also tend to have some marginally low fees for their services, but they can be invaluable when it comes time to execute the will after death. Your will is meant to establish the distribution of your assets upon death, it can also be used to determine who custody of minor children will fall to. One other important aspect of will is establishing how you wish your remains to be handled. Making funeral arrangements ahead of time based upon the wishes of your will can make planning it a lot less stressful for your loved ones. You can even delegate how the costs will be handled from your estate, if you choose to not try and prepay for the arrangements.
Making changes to your will can be as important as establishing it.
Once you have one written up and official, keeping it updated as your situation changes is very important. Unexpected or drastic life changes can affect how you wish your assets to be distributed. You may also simple change your mind in how you wish your funeral to be conducted. Whatever the case may be, depending on when you first establish your will, you may want to update it as often as needed.
The other aspects of a will.
Aside from giving you a say after your death, wills also allow for certain conditions to be set when you are still alive. Living wills are used to determine if you wish to be revived upon death or simply let go. They can also name who, if not the lawyer, will be the person to carry out your final wishes.
The overall important of a will cannot be stated enough.
If you pass without a will, there can be a lot of grief and undue burden on your loved ones to try and plan and carry out the funeral. Having a well laid out plan allows the grieving process to occur more smoothly and also allows your loved ones to focus more on the event than the stress that can be involved with planning it. They are not only helpful in regards to the funeral execution, but after as well, where persons who pass without wills can leave quite a lot of struggle and discord among family members in regards to division of the estate. It also can place undue stress on the executor that gets placed over it, as they are without a guiding will.