The Ultimate Gift: Why Funeral Pre-Planning Matters for Your Loved Ones
By making plans ahead of time you can alleviate the financial and emotional burden on the people who love you and prevent the chaos and conflict that often arise when people are grieving.
Plus, you get today’s pricing for services long in the future, avoiding the yearly inflation which, according to the national average, can be as high as 7-10%.
At Colorado Estate Services, we are proud to partner with Becky Davis of Stork-Morley Funeral Home in the Denver area to offer this important service.
What Does a Funeral Pre-Planner Do?
A funeral pre-planner, like Becky Davis, guides individuals and families through the process of arranging their final wishes. This includes:
- Understanding Personal Preferences: Pre-planners collaborate closely with clients to identify what matters most to them. These conversations often explore religious, cultural, ritual, and familial preferences, among other considerations. They are also dedicated to ensuring clients fully understand the implications of their choices, empowering them to make decisions that reflect their values and priorities.
- Selecting Options: Clients learn what choices are available to them and can choose based on their values and what is most important to them. Disposition options in Colorado include conventional burial, green (or natural) burial, cremation by fire, cremation by water, and natural organic reduction (human composting). Making this choice in advance ensures their wishes are honored.
- Financial Planning: Pre-planners help clients manage the costs of funeral services by offering prepayment options, locking in today’s prices, and avoiding future inflation. Planning long before services are needed is not only fiscally sound but a kindness to those left behind, sparing them from having to come up with funds in a very short timeframe.
- Coordinating Details: From music and readings to floral arrangements and casket selection, pre-planners help finalize every detail.
- Providing Peace of Mind: Having these plans in place brings comfort to clients knowing that their families will be better able to focus on grieving and healing when the time comes.
How Funeral Pre-Planning Works
- Consultation: The process begins with a meeting between the client and the pre-planner to discuss options, wishes, values, and preferences.
- Customized Plan Development: Once decisions have been made, the pre-planner creates a contract between the client and the funeral home, ensuring every detail aligns with the client’s vision.
- Budget Review and Payment Options: The advance planner discusses prepayment options with the client creating a payment plan that works best for them. Once the decision is made, the funds are held in escrow with an insurance company, who then pays the funeral home directly at the time of need. This spares family from the added stress of coming up with payment on short notice.
- Documenting the Plan: The finalized plan is documented and given to the family, along with the insurance paperwork, and copies are securely stored at the funeral home.
- Ongoing Support: Plans can be adjusted over time to reflect changing circumstances (such as a move) or preferences.
Why Pre-Planning Matters
Funeral pre-planning is a gift to those you leave behind. It reduces the emotional and financial stress of making decisions during an already difficult time. With Becky Davis’s compassionate guidance, families in the Denver area can take proactive steps to ensure their final wishes are met, while sparing loved ones from these additional challenges.
At Colorado Estate Services, we believe in connecting our clients with trusted partners who can help them through all aspects of planning for the future. If you or a loved one is interested in learning more about funeral pre-planning, we encourage you to reach out to Becky Davis at Stork-Morley Funeral Home. Together, we can help you plan with confidence and peace of mind.
For more resources or referrals, contact Colorado Estate Services today.
