Final Disposition Instructions
For most people, final disposition instructions are a real bummer to think about. Your final disposition instructions are basically what you want people to do with your body after you die. Nobody likes to think they will die! Doing some planning on what to do with your remains can help make things easy on your loved ones, who no doubt will be really sad you’re gone.
Typically, people are choosing cremation, burial, mushroom-suit body decomposition, etc. (If you’re a fan of Always Sunny you know Frank says “when I’m dead, just throw me in the trash.” See the treat below.) Some people have made “pre-need” arrangements. Pre-need arrangements are when you have a burial plot, or some place to stick your ashes, paid for and arranged ahead of time. Maybe a family member got a deal on burial plots. Maybe you were looking for some extra tax deduction so you pre-paid for your funeral. Either way if you’ve made arrangements before your death, you will want to leave instructions on what to do with your remains. How else are people to know you have a nice spot waiting for you in some other city, state, etc.
Colin Ley is a Seattle estate planning attorney. He is also the co-founder of LayRoots along with his wife, Shreya.
