Funeral Considerations In Estate Planning

Many clients express concerns over their funerals. Clients want to ensure that their personal values and religious needs are protected. Other clients also worry about the costs of arranging a funeral. In the estate planning process, we deal with funeral arrangements in the will. 

Under Ontario law, the funeral is the responsibility of the executor of the will. The executor is given substantial autonomy and their only requirement is that the funeral costs be reasonable. Therefore the most important discussion I have with my clients regarding funerals is the choice of executor and making sure they are adequately informed.

At Law365, we place funeral instructions in the will to give some guidelines to the executor. In our experience, many executors look to the will for funeral instructions and generally implement them faithfully. That being said, this section of the will is not binding on the executor. It is crucial to have a conversation with the executor to ensure they know your instructions and are willing to implement them.

Another step you can take is to arrange your funeral in advance. Funeral homes offer a variety of options so that people can make necessary arrangements instead of leaving them to their executors. Organizing funeral arrangements in advance allows someone to ensure their wishes are respected and costs remain reasonable. If you decide to plan your funeral in advance, be sure to include details in your will and ensure your executor knows of these arrangements.

If you have questions about funeral arrangements or any other estate planning matter, reach out to us at 647 494 9599 or info@law365.ca