A written Will disposes of your personal and real property to your heirs and beneficiaries. You should not use your Will to give others information about your funeral wishes or instructions. Because your heirs or executor may not locate your Will for several weeks after you die, you should not use it to leave your funeral instructions. Instead, you should consider using last instructions or another type of separate written document to include your funeral or burial wishes.
You should also consider discussing your funeral wishes in advance with your loved ones. By doing this, they Will not have to rely on written instructions. You can also use this discussion to tell them about your Will. Discussing your Will in advance may minimize the opportunities for future Will challenges or contests. You can tell your loved ones to refer to your last instructions for specific details and let them know where you will store your Will and last instructions.
You may also draft a simple note or correspondence to your executor to let him or her know of your final funeral instructions. Your last instructions should include whether you want a formal burial or cremation, where to scatter your ashes if you choose cremation, where to bury you and who you want to attend your funeral.
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