An End-of-Life Plan is an estate planning document that outlines your memorial-related wishes and instructions, including whether you would like an obituary, how you want your body to be dealt with, and whether you'd like formal services such as a visitation or funeral.

There is a lot to think about, plan, and do in a very short time frame when there is a death. Removing some of the responsibilities from your spouse or other family members with an End-of-Life Plan will make it easier on them as they deal with your passing.

What's more, you can use an End-of-Life Plan to document any requests that are significant to you, such as specifying whether you want an obituary, describing your burial outfit, or naming a eulogist and pallbearers for your funeral.

Your End-of-Life Plan should include instructions regarding:

• Whether you wish to publish a death notice or obituary, including the name of the publication or online repository
• How your body will be dealt with (e.g. burial, cremation, donation, etc.)
• Any formal services you wish to be held in your name (e.g. visitation, funeral, memorial service, etc.)
• How costs such as a casket, flowers, or event space will be covered

You can also appoint a trusted individual in your End-of-Life Plan to carry out your final wishes. Often people will choose the same person they designated in their Last Will and Testament to close their estate as their End-of-Life Plan appointee.

How your body will be handled is a personal decision that may be affected by your cultural or religious background. In general, however, your options are:

• Burial in a cemetery or private plot
• Entombment in a mausoleum
• Cremation, with the ashes being buried, entombed, or given to a loved one
• Donation to science for medical research or education

Just like the handling of your body, having formal services in your name is a personal decision that may be dictated by family tradition or religion.

In your End-of-Life Plan, you can specify the type of service or services you want, including a:

• Visitation or viewing, where the body is typically present. Guests gather to express their sympathies to the family and say their final goodbyes.
• Funeral, which can be a religious service held at a church or other house of worship, or a non-religious ceremony held at a funeral home. A funeral service may include eulogies, prayers, songs, or special readings.
• Graveside service, which can either follow a funeral or serve as a standalone event. A brief ceremony precedes the interment of the deceased in a burial plot, mausoleum, or other location.
• Memorial service, which is similar to a visitation, but takes place after the burial or cremation. Like a funeral, it can be religious or secular, meaning it can be held in a house of worship or in an event space

You can also outline instructions for a traditional religious service or other type of spiritual service.

You can pre-arrange your own services or leave instructions regarding your wishes.

If you want to make plans ahead of time, it's best to first get an idea of what you want.

For example, do you want to be buried or cremated? Do you want a small service, or a more elaborate, traditional service? Do you want an all-inclusive package? Then compare prices between funeral providers before making arrangements. Use your End-of-Life Plan to share where you've made arrangements and any additional instructions your loved ones should know.

If you simply want to leave instructions for your family, you can use your End-of-Life Plan to put your wishes in writing.

For instance, if you want a funeral, you can give instructions regarding the number of guests, pallbearers, music or readings, eulogy, reception, and other important matters.

It's a good idea to discuss your End-of-Life Plan with your appointee and loved ones to ensure they're aware of your wishes and to answer any questions they may have. You can ask your appointee to fulfill your wishes to the best of their ability, but they are not legally bound to make them happen. In fact, they may also be unable to make them all happen.

For example, you appoint someone in your plan to deliver a eulogy at your funeral, but that individual may be unable or unwilling to speak when the time comes. Or, for legal reasons, your appointee may be unable to scatter your ashes in the location you designated and will need to make alternate plans.