Is an End Of Life Plan Important? 

An End of life plan is a document which allows you to organise your affairs in the approach to, and after, death. 

It allows you to take control of how you’ll be cared for, your finances, important documents, funeral matters, legacy and many more. 

Often left until the last minute, it can be one of the most important pieces of writing you could ever produce. 

The importance of such can be compared to signing off to get married, filing the deed to your new house, or writing your own memoirs after a long and interesting life.

It’s something that many people miss out on when preparing for their future, so here’s some of the advantages of having a plan and why you’ll be needing one at some point eventually.

Do You Need An End Of Life Plan? 

Yes! 

The best way to understand why a plan is important is to picture what life would be like without one. 

What would your finances look like if you hadn’t prepared a will? 

Do your family members know how you’d like your funeral to look like?

Is there any way of securing your legacy for future generations to know how your life was? 

Without an end of life plan these questions, amongst others,  will all be up in the air. 

For finances, it’s likely your partner, family or the state would take control; is that something you’d like? 

Without a plan for your funeral, others would choose details for you; would you be happy with that? 

They say a person dies twice.

Once upon death and second, when their name is mentioned for the last time, are you happy with your legacy?

The question of having a plan essentially comes down to how much uncertainty you want to leave behind after death. 

If you’re someone who doesn’t care, then this isn’t for you. 

If however you want to make things easier for yourself and loved ones, then it is.  

The Advantages of An End Of Life Plan

Save Heartache 

After the loss of a loved one it can be a difficult time for all.

Especially those who are responsible for taking care of the duties afterwards. 

A plan will leave instructions for loved ones, avoiding arguments, regrets or tough decisions for after your death.

This will bring peace of mind for everyone involved, making it easier for loved ones when grieving. 

Save Money 

By having a plan in place, it allows you to prepare for what the cost burden will be. 

You’ll be able to work out the costs for funeral services or dealing with possessions.

Meaning that no hidden costs show up for family members to pay. 

This helps avoid financial burdens which may hit families at an unwelcome time which may take years to pay off. 

Avoid Upset 

Talking about death helps bring families together. 

Not often will everybody agree, but having the important conversations is important.

Getting them out in the open will be a great exercise in bringing people together and building trust.

Moreover, that no surprise pieces of information are brought up after death, which may hurt previous memories and experiences. 

Talking to loved ones about your intentions in creating a plan will be a big step forward. It will allow a more honest and realistic picture of what life will look like after you’re gone.

How have you got on with doing anything about your own plan? Let us know in the comments. 

Create Your Own 

The Before I Go Method is a fantastic resource to get you started (and finished!) your plan. It has all the resources and materials you need and does a fantastic job in taking you through each step. Check it out here.