There are two different forms of funeral arrangements. It can involve the specific arrangements of a funeral service, such as the venue, invitations, the nature and order of service, and so on. It can also refer to the financial arrangements that were put in place to pay for the funeral. When a loved one passes away, funeral arrangements must be made relatively quickly. Before making these arrangements, it's very important to find out if your loved one made any financial provisions to cover the cost of their funeral and burial or cremation. How can you find out this information?
Initial Enquiries
Financial arrangements to cover the cost of a funeral can involve a prepaid funeral plan, funeral insurance, or bonds. Life insurance can also be used, but this won't necessarily involve an amount specifically set aside for funeral costs. Since you no longer have the option to directly ask your loved one, it can be helpful to ask other family members and close friends of the deceased. The existence of a funeral plan may have been discussed with them, or it could have come up in casual conversation.
Insurance Documents
When your initial enquiries fail to yield any useful information, you will need to investigate further. Have a look at your loved one's documents and unopened mail. You may be able to find out the name of the insurance provider and policy number in this way. Remember that there may not be a hard copy of any statements as all communication may be exclusively electronic.
Electronic Documents
Consider contacting your loved one's email provider. Both Google (Gmail) and Microsoft (Outlook/Hotmail) have the ability to release this information, once the appropriate request has been filed. This request typically requires proof of your own identity, as well as a death certificate. If access is possible, look for electronic funeral plan statements. However, since any requests can take some time to process, it may be beneficial to skip ahead to the next option.
While it's important to ascertain whether a loved one had made any financial arrangements for their own funeral, your search might ultimately be unsuccessful if no plan exists. This at least gives you (and other family members) an idea about the upfront costs involved in saying farewell to your loved one, so you can begin to make these plans. For more information about funeral arrangements, contact a local service, such as T.A. Brown Funeral Home Limited.
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