1. Make your plans. Talk to your family about what kind of funeral arrangements you want so there is no misunderstanding when the time comes to implement them. You should also tell your estate planning attorney about your decisions so you can incorporate them in your estate plan.

2. Create a health care power of attorney. North Carolina, unlike some other states, doesn’t have a unique form that you need to fill out in order to grant someone else the power to manage your funeral arrangements. You can, however, appoint a health care power of attorney who not only has the right to make medical decisions if you get sick, but you can also let your agent manage what happens to you after you die. Your health care agent ensures your decisions about your burial, cremation and even whether you want to be an organ donor are followed.

3. Ask at least two people to act as your agent. Your health care power of attorney allows you to appoint one person to serve as your health care agent. However, if that person is unable or unwilling to serve, you’ll need a back-up. Ask both people if they are willing to serve, and then create a health care power of attorney document. Talk to your attorney about the state requirements you need to meet when creating your power of attorney.

If you are looking to create or modify estate planning documents, call us today at (336) 547-9999.

The Law Offices Of Cheryl David is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.

No one really likes to think about the end of their own life, but there are some important considerations you must make early on to prepare your loved ones who will be left behind. One example of this is leaving final instructions to make things easier on the people who loved you in life. Here are some samples of things that you want to write down.

The first thing you want to let them know is how you want your body to be handled after death. Do you want to be buried, cremated or even donated to science? If you are planning to donate organs, make sure that you let those around you know that and that you put your wishes in writing.

If you want people to donate money to the charity of your choice in lieu of sending flowers, make sure to note that as well. Many people will automatically send flowers even if you ask for donations, but it never hurts to make that request so that extra funds can go to the charity of your choice.

Make certain that you also include any specific information you would want printed in your obituary. You should also list out the name and address of your executor and lawyer, as well as contact information for your employer if you’re still working.

Of course, you want to let people know where your will is located, and the name and phone number of your attorney. If you have a safe deposit box, make sure that you let people know where the key is so that they can locate your important documents. You should store important documents in your safe deposit box. This can include things such as insurance paperwork, pension documents, marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.

You may also want to list out an inventory of your financial information and assets such as the debts you currently owe, credit card information, car information, your IRA, bank accounts, etc.

The Law Offices Of Cheryl David is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.

Remember when your only choices when it came to what would happen to your remains were burial or cremation?  We’ve moved way beyond that.  Now, people are choosing to have their remains disposed of in ways that reflect who they were during life, benefit the ecosystem, and even let their loved ones wear them on a daily basis.  Here are a few examples:

Eternal Reefs goes beyond the concept of simply having your ashes scattered in the ocean.  Instead, your cremated ashes can actually be incorporated into an artificial reef and placed on the ocean floor, eventually becoming part of the ecosystem.

For those who want to have their ashes scattered in the air, the Eternal Ascent Society offers just this opportunity.  A portion of your cremated ashes are placed in a large helium balloon, which is released into the air. Because air temperatures increase at high altitudes,the balloon freezes and bursts when has ascended approximately 5 miles, and your remains are scattered to the winds.

A British company offers music lovers the unique opportunity to have their cremated remains pressed into a vinyl record. If you choose this approach, you can opt to have your voice recorded onto the album, made by And Vinyly, or you can record your favorite band’s album, or “simply press your ashes to hear your pops and crackles for the minimal approach.”

LifeGem offers yet another option – have your ashes made into a diamond for your loved ones to keep as a memorial to your life.  A diamond can also be created from a lock of hair, so this is an option for those who want to be buried instead of cremated.

What will your choice be when it comes to what happens to your remains?  No matter what you choose, make sure you let your loved ones know your preferences far in advance. Not only does this help ensure your wishes are honored; knowing what you would have wanted relieves some of their stress during a very difficult time.

The Law Offices Of Cheryl David is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.

When you take care of some of the details for your final arrangements, you alleviate some of the stress that typically falls to your loved ones during a difficult time. This alone makes it worthwhile to plan some of your own final arrangements.

What You Should Know About Planning Your Final Arrangements

One of the biggest misconceptions is that the best place to put instructions for your final arrangements is in a will. This is a bad idea because of the fact that your will may not even be read until long after all of the decisions for your final arrangements have already been made. Your will is the place to indicate who you want to care for your minor children, how to divide your property, etc.

To ensure that your wishes for your final arrangements are known, talk to your loved ones about what you want and consider creating a separate document that contains the instructions for your final arrangements. Make sure that the executor of your will knows where this document is located.

Another fact to keep in mind is that if you don’t already have your final arrangements made at the time of your death, someone else will be left with this task, as well as being legally responsible for the expense. This responsibility typically falls to your spouse, your children, your parents or next of kin. By not making your own arrangements, you will be leaving a great financial burden on your family. In addition to this, it is not uncommon for there to be family disputes that arise over disagreements on how these arrangements should be carried out.

Some of the instructions that you can include in your final arrangements document include:

• Instructions for burial or cremation,
• What mortuary you have made arrangements with,
• Details for the funeral ceremony,
• The type of casket you want, if you have not already picked it out with the mortuary,
• Where you would like to be buried, or other instructions concerning your final resting place
• Details for your memorial marker

The cost of a mortuary’s services to take care of your final arrangements will vary, which is why it is important to plan long before you think these services will be needed. This way you can compare services and cost.

Taking care of your own arrangements not only leaves you with peace of mind, but it will help your family weather the difficulty of your death when that times comes.

The Law Offices Of Cheryl David is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.