Legal Documents
Funeral, Burial, and Final Wishes Planning Checklist
A practical checklist for documenting funeral preferences, burial or cremation wishes, contacts, military records, and payment details.
Final wishes planning is an act of clarity for family. It does not need to be dramatic. A simple written record can prevent confusion, overspending, and conflict during grief.
What to document
- Burial, cremation, donation, or other preferences.
- Funeral home, cemetery, plot, deed, or prepaid plan details.
- Military discharge records and veteran benefit information.
- Religious, cultural, music, reading, obituary, or memorial preferences.
- People to notify and where important documents are stored.
Discuss payment
Write down whether arrangements are prepaid, insured, or expected to be paid from estate funds. Avoid vague promises that leave one family member with immediate bills.
Use YouRetire tools
Add final wishes documents to your emergency binder and move checklist. Tell the right trusted person where originals are kept.