There are plenty of directions, wishes and exact directives that you may wish to leave behind for your loved ones, and your appointed executor when you pass away. If you had the foresight to work with an estate planning attorney to architect your plans, it is also important to think about whether or not you’ve purchased a burial plot, prepaid for cremation, or taken care of funeral plans in advance. If you have not made these plans, you may wish to document these wishes in a trust or a will. 
Failing to take care of these things in advance leaves your family with a lot of challenges to work out after you pass away, in addition to the unnecessary stress of the expense. You should not assume that your executor will step in to handle all of these decisions. You may need to appoint someone else who will be responsible for funeral and burial arrangements, specifically because these need to be made promptly after you pass away. If you document these somewhere where your family cannot easily locate them, your family may not be able to honor your wishes, or this can become an issue to be resolved in probate court which significantly delays being laid to rest.
The laws about burial will vary from one state to another, so make sure that you review these rules in advance and consult with an experienced and knowledgeable estate planning attorney who understands the many complex factors at play. Our estate planning law office can help you to think about estate planning holistically and to ensure that you have a plan that addresses all of your primary needs.
