Death comes to us all at some point. It isn’t the nicest thing in the world to think about, but it is a necessity. And the earlier in your life you get started, the less likely it is that you will miss something important. In this article, we are going to look at the most important things to think about when preparing for the inevitable. Follow them to make sure your departure from the mortal coil is the only thing those that are left behind need to worry about.
Write A Will
A will is a legal document that outlines what will happen to your estate when you die. It will also name a person – called an executor – who will make sure that all of your wishes are fulfilled. There are plenty of different ways of doing this, but to give you the best cover it is advisable to seek out help from a legal expert. Wills can be simple or complicated, depending on how much and what you are leaving behind. But if you miss anything or don’t follow the correct legal procedures you could end up causing your loved ones a lot of unnecessary grief.
Pay Off Your Debts
It’s important to be debt free when you eventually die. Certain debts can be passed on to the recipients of your estate and will be taken from the final total of what you leave. It could also be more expensive than paying the debts off before you pass on. You may not be bothered about death at all, but you can guarantee that others will – and it wouldn’t be fair to burden them with your old financial woes as well.
Plan Your Funeral
The more you get involved with your own funeral, the less stress it will cause those you leave behind. Unless you are expressly clear about what your funeral wishes are, the arrangements could cause ruptures in your family unit. It is going to be a sensitive time and emotions will be running high – but if you have your wishes written down them everyone will know. Take time out of your life to investigate local funeral parlours and find a firm that can give you what you want. And although you may have strong wishes with how you want to be remembered, think of others, too.
Prepare For Illness
Things change over time and the older you get, the more likely you are to fall ill. And some of those illnesses could rob you of your mind – one in three people over the age of 65 can expect to get some form of dementia. So, it is important to have a power of attorney to help you through those periods. A power of attorney will take control of your financial and legal matters once you sign the relevant legal document. They will be best placed to make the decisions for you should you become unable to yourself.
Preparing for death may not be something you want to think about, but it is vital to have those plans in place. If you don’t, it can lead to confusion, pain and long and drawn out financial issues for those you leave behind.