Cremation Checklist from Smart Cremation

A cremation checklist will help you plan. When you leave cremation planning to your family after you die, you create a host of details and arrangements that must be made in a short time. To save your family from stress, potential arguments, and the grief of not knowing your wishes, pre-plan the most important items using our free cremation checklist:

Make Decisions

When end-of-life planning, it is important to define what you want. You’ll need to decide:

  • What type of service you’d like to have

  • Whether you’d like your cremains to go to your family or be scattered

  • If you prefer scattering, decide where you’d like to be scattered
  • Decide whether you’d like to have a charity receive donations in lieu of flowers, and, if so, which charity
  • If you’d like people to make memorial donations in your name, you should designate an organization or church to receive those donations
  • Make arrangements for pets to go live with friends or relatives
  • Designate one or more people to speak at your service
  • Choose a personal representative who is responsible for carrying out your wishes, and a back-up in case the personal representative is unable to perform the service

Gather Information

Once you’ve made these important decisions, it’s time to prepare the information and consolidate it in one place to simplify the cremation arrangements for your family. Make sure you include:

  • A contact list of people who should be notified

  • Where you’d like obituary and memorial information to appear

  • The name of the executor of your will
  • Where your will and other important documents are located
  • List safe deposit boxes or locations of other important physical assets
  • Prepare a list of account information for bank accounts, retirement accounts, insurance policies, credit cards, and other relevant accounts that will need to be notified in the event of your death
  • Create a list of contact information for utilities, telephone services, and newspaper or magazine deliveries that need to be canceled

Prepare Documentation

Your family needs documentation in the event of your death. Simplify after-death paperwork by:

  • Preparing an obituary or jotting down notes that you’d like to have included in your obituary

  • Updating your will

  • Preparing the appropriate powers of attorney, including documents for health care and a living will, as well as a financial power of attorney for your representative after illness or death
  • Create a written cremation plan that details your wishes for end-of-life planning

Once you’ve prepared the details for your cremation, place all documents in a safe place, and let your family and your personal representative know where to find them in the event of your death. It’s a good idea to keep a backup copy of all documents in a second location, with friends or family, in the event of a fire or natural disaster that might destroy your documents.

Give your family the gift of peace of mind – take a few moments to follow our free cremation checklist and prepare the important details for your loved ones.

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