Is Funeral Planning Legally Binding in North Palm Beach?
Funeral planning allows you to make important decisions about your burial, cremation, and other final steps ahead of time. If you have very specific ideas about how you want to say your final goodbyes, you can put these wishes in writing. But is funeral planning in North Palm Beach legally binding? This is an important question – one that you might want to raise with an experienced estate planning attorney.
Florida Allows You to Create Inter Vivos Authorizations
Florida law states that you can designate an authorized person to handle your funeral decisions. You can accomplish this with an inter vivos authorization. The phrase inter vivos means “between the living” in Latin, and it represents a set of instructions left behind by a decedent. These instructions specifically pertain to funeral decisions, disposition arrangements, and the division of cremated remains.
When you create one of these arrangements, it becomes legally binding. Just like a contract, the people you have designated to carry out certain steps are legally obligated to do so. You can also fund these funeral arrangements ahead of time, ensuring your loved ones will have enough money to pay for the funeral you have chosen.
Is Funeral Planning Worth It?
Some argue that funeral planning is pointless, since you are already gone by the time your loved ones deal with your remains. However, some people have very strong views about funerals – and these wishes should be honored. Specific funeral decisions could be particularly important for deeply spiritual or religious individuals.
Even the smallest details can have a profound effect on how your loved ones say their final goodbyes. For example, you might choose specific types of flowers for your funeral. You might also choose a specific song that your loved ones will listen to as your coffin is lowered into the earth.
Perhaps most importantly, funeral planning can reduce the chances of disputes between your surviving loved ones. If you make your wishes known ahead of time, your loved ones might not argue as much about whether you wanted a burial or a cremation, for example.
Choose Reasonable Funeral Options
The cost of a funeral is much higher than many realize. As a result, it makes sense to choose reasonable funeral options that your loved ones can afford. If there are insufficient funds to cover the cost of the funeral, your wishes may be impossible and therefore unenforceable from a legal standpoint. Remember, every dollar you devote to your funeral is one dollar less for your loved ones to inherit.
Can a North Palm Beach Estate Planning Lawyer Help Me With Funeral Planning?
A North Palm Beach estate planning lawyer may be able to assist with funeral planning. While not all states allow legally binding funeral plans, Florida does. You can take various steps to ensure your funeral wishes are upheld by those in charge of this process. To learn more about the next steps, consider contacting Kitroser Lewis & Mighdoll today.
Source:
funerals.org/your-rights/state-by-state-rights/state-by-state-assigning-an-agent-to-control-disposition/
