Advantages of Preparing a Will in Advance

Despite its natural, inevitable nature, death is an uncomfortable subject for many people.  Turning attention to what life might be like for others, once you’re gone, may not be the most appealing pastime, but certain accommodations must nonetheless be made in advance of your death.  Naming beneficiaries on insurance policies and investments, for example, provides protection in the event of your demise, making sure your assets are distributed to the proper parties.  A Last Will and Testament, or simply “will,” is an expanded document which serves a similar function; earmarking possessions to be passed-on and outlining your wishes for administering you estate.

Preparing a will in advance of your death makes sense on several grounds.  If you have not taken the time to prepare a will, consider some of the following reasons it may be prudent to create one at this time.

While the subjects contained in your will are highly personal, sharing innermost thoughts and feelings; the document is ultimately put in-place for the benefit of survivors.  Grief over your passing is a burden in and of itself; so piling-on additional uncertainty can complicate the situation even further.  Constructing a comprehensive will takes the burden away from survivors, furnishing assurances that everything will unfold in a reasonable way.

Maintaining a will ensures that your legacy will carry-on as intended.  When no will is present at the time of death, your estate becomes subject to legal jurisdiction governing how it must be handled.  Personal property, for example, can be bequeathed specifically according to the terms contained in your will, whereas legal statutes take-over regarding property distributions, when no will is available.

While your estate might seem straightforward, it is a mistake to assume your wishes will be carried out by the courts in lieu of a will.  If you have no spouse or children, for example, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews may be in line to inherit your property – unless you articulate a will naming other beneficiaries.  A friend or long-term partner, for instance, may be designated to receive personal property in the event of your death, but will be left out in the cold when no will is available to identify your wishes.

Even if your estate is not highly valued, in terms of assets and property held, it can become complicated to administer without a will.  Legal issues and contentious heirs arise in many cases, calling for professional assistance from lawyers and tax advisors.  Not only does the added effort take time, but legal fees and paid consultation add-up quickly, eating-in to the value of your estate.

When an up-to-date will is maintained, many questions are summarily resolved at the time of your death, expediting the resolution of your estate.  While wills are relatively inexpensive to produce, they nonetheless hold the potential to save significant sums of money administering your estate, once you are gone.

In addition to identifying property distributions, wills are used to designate who will be in charge of administering your wishes.  Once commonly referred to as “executor”, the person tasked with managing your estate is sometimes referred to as “personal representative”.  Your will allows you to select a friend or family member you feel comfortable with, and who will administer your estate competently and efficiently.  To avoid family conflicts and inconsistencies, some individuals name professionals to administer their wills.

In the absence of a will, the courts choose personal representatives, to oversee proceedings on your behalf.  While court-appointed representatives are not granted powers above and beyond other members of your family, your ability to select your own personal advocate is lost when you die without a will in-place.

You may realize additional benefits, such as tax-planning advantages, by maintaining a properly formatted will.  But at the very least, you’ll protect your heirs and beneficiaries; ensuring your desires are carried out after death.

View the original article here

Advantages of Preparing a Will in Advance

Despite its natural, inevitable nature, death is an uncomfortable subject for many people.  Turning attention to what life might be like for others, once you’re gone, may not be the most appealing pastime, but certain accommodations must nonetheless be made in advance of your death.  Naming beneficiaries on insurance policies and investments, for example, provides protection in the event of your demise, making sure your assets are distributed to the proper parties.  A Last Will and Testament, or simply “will,” is an expanded document which serves a similar function; earmarking possessions to be passed-on and outlining your wishes for administering you estate.

Preparing a will in advance of your death makes sense on several grounds.  If you have not taken the time to prepare a will, consider some of the following reasons it may be prudent to create one at this time.

While the subjects contained in your will are highly personal, sharing innermost thoughts and feelings; the document is ultimately put in-place for the benefit of survivors.  Grief over your passing is a burden in and of itself; so piling-on additional uncertainty can complicate the situation even further.  Constructing a comprehensive will takes the burden away from survivors, furnishing assurances that everything will unfold in a reasonable way.

Maintaining a will ensures that your legacy will carry-on as intended.  When no will is present at the time of death, your estate becomes subject to legal jurisdiction governing how it must be handled.  Personal property, for example, can be bequeathed specifically according to the terms contained in your will, whereas legal statutes take-over regarding property distributions, when no will is available.

While your estate might seem straightforward, it is a mistake to assume your wishes will be carried out by the courts in lieu of a will.  If you have no spouse or children, for example, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews may be in line to inherit your property – unless you articulate a will naming other beneficiaries.  A friend or long-term partner, for instance, may be designated to receive personal property in the event of your death, but will be left out in the cold when no will is available to identify your wishes.

Even if your estate is not highly valued, in terms of assets and property held, it can become complicated to administer without a will.  Legal issues and contentious heirs arise in many cases, calling for professional assistance from lawyers and tax advisors.  Not only does the added effort take time, but legal fees and paid consultation add-up quickly, eating-in to the value of your estate.

When an up-to-date will is maintained, many questions are summarily resolved at the time of your death, expediting the resolution of your estate.  While wills are relatively inexpensive to produce, they nonetheless hold the potential to save significant sums of money administering your estate, once you are gone.

In addition to identifying property distributions, wills are used to designate who will be in charge of administering your wishes.  Once commonly referred to as “executor”, the person tasked with managing your estate is sometimes referred to as “personal representative”.  Your will allows you to select a friend or family member you feel comfortable with, and who will administer your estate competently and efficiently.  To avoid family conflicts and inconsistencies, some individuals name professionals to administer their wills.

In the absence of a will, the courts choose personal representatives, to oversee proceedings on your behalf.  While court-appointed representatives are not granted powers above and beyond other members of your family, your ability to select your own personal advocate is lost when you die without a will in-place.

You may realize additional benefits, such as tax-planning advantages, by maintaining a properly formatted will.  But at the very least, you’ll protect your heirs and beneficiaries; ensuring your desires are carried out after death.

View the original article here

Environmentally Friendly Funerals Have Many Advantages

Having green, environmentally friendly funerals may sound strange to some, but to others, this new idea is just what they’ve been looking for. After all, the passing of a loved one is a deeply spiritual occruence and why shouldn’t the corresponding processions and rituals be carried out in an environmentally conscious way that would sit well with Mother Nature?

Planning a funeral is one of the most stressful things we will ever do, however knowing that you can be helping the environment, and that the burial is much more natural, can help alleviate some of that stress. For many people, this can make the task of planning their funeral an easier and more rewarding experience, as they know that their decision to have an environmentally friendly funeral will help the planet, in part contributing to a positive legacy that their loved one can now leave behind.

1. Help Friends and Family

When someone you love passes away, it can be absolutely devastating and when you visit them in a regular cemetery, it can feel impersonal and unnatural. However, one of the best benefits of environmentally friendly funerals, is that your loved one will be laid to rest in a beautifully natural setting, surrounded by trees and plants. So when you visit their grave, you can feel much closer to them and much closer to nature, a feeling that helps many families come to terms with the death of their loved one. When making arrangements for your own funeral, knowing that people can visit you in a beautiful and tranquil location, in harmony with nature, can lighten the load of constant worry that comes with making this end of life arrangement.

2. Less chemicals

When people are buried the traditional way, they are embalmed before they are buried. The fluid used in embalming is made of ethanol, water, and 5-30% formaldehyde, which is a suspected carcinogen. After the burial, as the body decomposes, these chemicals leak out into the surrounding areas, and in the US, over 827,000 gallons of embalming fluid are used each year. However, with environmentally friendly funerals, bodies are buried naturally, with no chemicals to delay decomposition, making them a much more natural alternative that’s healthier for the environment.

3. Conservation

The cemetery itself is often a barren area of land with minimal trees and plants. However, with environmentally friendly funerals, the aim is to also protect the land. Only small and locally soured stones are used as headstones and everything is done so there is no impact to the surrounding area. Knowing that in your passing, you are protecting the environment and helping to make the world a better place for your decedents can be a wonderful feeling.

4. No Air Pollution

Many people choose to be cremated rather than buried, often because it is cheaper. However, while it may be cheaper, and while people may think it’s environmentally friendly, it’s certainly not green.  In fact, this process releases many toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, as well as burning fossil fuels that release around 10.5 million kilograms of carbon dioxide into the air each year.

In addition to carbon dioxide, cremations also release:

Hydrogen chlorideFormaldehydeCarbon monoxideDioxinsMercuryOrganochlorides

The benefit of having a eco-friendly green funeral is that none of these chemicals are released, so there is no detrimental impact to the surrounding areas.

5. Biodegradable

It’s not just the embalming process that can damage the environment. The coffins themselves can also become an issue as they can be made from materials that are expensive and can take decades to decompose. Each year in the US, over 30 million board feet of tropical, rare, or expensive hardwood is used to make coffins, plus they are often decorated with what adds up to almost 3000 tons of copper and brass. The idea behind a environmentally friendly funeral, is that nothing that isn’t completely biodegradable can be used. Instead, methods that date back thousands of years are used, such as wrapping the person in a shroud of natural material or placing them in a coffin made of cardboard, paper or bamboo.

The joy of environmentally friendly funerals is knowing that you’ve made your mark in life in the hearts of your friends and family and not on the earth; a comforting thought during the stressful time of planning your end of life arrangements.

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Five Advantages of Eco Funerals and Burials

Even funerals are becoming green these days, which speaks to the environmental concerns of society in general. You’d think that death would be the final frontier, where issues like being friendly to the environment don’t really matter anymore, but you’d be wrong. Funerals can actually be bad for the environment because of all of the embalming fluids that are used on dead bodies. While cremation is becoming far more popular, many people still see their bodies as a vessel for their souls, at least while they’re on Earth. That’s why traditional funerals and religious rites are still the norm. However, if going green appeals to you, here are five advantages of eco funerals and burials.

No Need for Embalming Fluids

A so-called green burial would not require the use of any embalming fluids. Embalming fluids have been known to preserve the human body’s remains a lot longer than what is necessary or natural. As such, they actually contribute to a certain degree of environmental pollution, especially over the long term. A green burial would not pollute the environment due to its focus on all-natural processes and is often chosen for eco funerals.

More Room for Natural Growth

A traditional cemetery is a site that really does not permit for much natural growth at all. A green burial would reverse that problem because the ground won’t be perennially disturbed in order to place coffins into the ground. Further, there also won’t be any headstones that are required, thereby leaving more of the natural environment that only works to promote more natural growth.

Everything’s All-Natural

The big problem with traditional funerals is that they aren’t friendly to the environment because of the use of unnatural ingredients like embalming fluids, a metal casket and concrete burial vault, and so on. Eco funerals, on the other hand, simply allows for the body to recycle and decompose in the most natural way possible. The body’s interment in the soil will not impede decomposition in any way.

Eco Funerals and Burials Still Look Nice

Some people cringe at the thought of a green burial because they believe it won’t be as respectful or ceremonial as a traditional burial, but nothing is further from the truth. Instead of a headstone, a tree or native flat rock will be utilized to mark the burial, and inscriptions are still an option. In addition, vegetation around the burial site can be pre-chosen. People often prefer to visit their deceased loved one’s at a natural burial ground because it is much more peaceful due to its park-like setting.

Easier for Families

Loved ones who visit a proper cemetery tend to get depressed because of the reminder of death all around them. Green burials take place in sites that can double as nature preserves, which means that visiting loved ones have the option of even picnicking or hiking in the area when they visit their dead loved ones.

These are the five advantages of eco funerals and burials. These types of funerals and burials have been around for many centuries. However, it was only in modern times that they have been disrupted by new methods like embalming, metal caskets, vaults, and other practices that are harmful to the environment. Eco funerals are definitely an alternative to traditional Western burial methods, which some may find interesting and worth looking into more.

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