If you don’t have any family, then you may be unsure what will happen when you die. Who will organise your funeral? How can you make sure that you get the service you want?
While you may not have close family around to take on this job, you do have other options that could put your mind at rest. Who can you turn to?
Talk to a close friend
The fact that you don’t have any family left now doesn’t mean that you’re alone in the world. If you have a close or trusted friend, then they may agree to make sure you get the funeral you want.
If you’ve known this friend for a long time or if you’re particularly close, then they understand your likes and dislikes. They will intuitively know what you would want from your funeral; you can also talk to them about your wishes in advance.
While a good friend may be more than happy to help you out when the time comes, you do need to make sure that they have the means to do what you want. You should lay out your wishes in your will and make provision for funeral costs so that your friend doesn’t have to bear this burden.
While this option can work well, you do need to keep an eye on the situation. If your friend becomes too ill or infirm to organise a funeral, or if they predecease you, then you need to find a different solution.
Ask your executor
If you don’t have a friend who can or will take on this task, then you can make your wishes known to the executor of your will. If you don’t have close family, then you may have already asked a professional contact like your solicitor to do this job.
If you don’t have any next of kin, then your executor might have to organise your funeral anyway. If you have a good relationship, they may be happy to incorporate your wishes into their planning when the time comes.
As well as talking to your executor to sound out how they feel about this, it’s also worth detailing your instructions in your will. This is useful information for them to refer to later.
However, do remember that some executors may not want to do much more than the basics here. You also need to be confident that they will follow your wishes for this to work.
Organise your own funeral
Finding the right person to organise your funeral isn’t always simple. You need someone you can trust who can and will take on this role. Even if you find the perfect someone, you may not be completely comfortable asking them to help out with something so important.
You may not want to burden your friends with your funeral arrangements. You may worry that an executor won’t follow your wishes to the letter.
If this kind of thing is a concern, then you can take control yourself. If you preplan your funeral now, you make all the major decisions about your funeral and service before you die. You also get the chance to pay in advance.
Your funeral director will talk you through the key decisions you need to make. They will record your wishes and preferences. You then pay for the funeral in a lump sum or in instalments.
When the time comes, your funeral director organises everything exactly according to your plan. Nobody else has to make difficult decisions or worry about payment.
To find out more about preplanning your funeral, contact Cremations Only. Our sympathetic and knowledgeable funeral directors will help you bear the planning load and give you the reassurance you need that you’ll get the funeral you want.