Funeral wishes

Planning in advance

Decisions you can make ahead of time include: 

• whether you want a burial, cremation or a service specific to any cultural or religious custom
• organising payment in advance
• any specific readings, speakers or music.

Write down your plans and share them with close family and friends so that people know what you want for your funeral or memorial service

Informing family and friends of these preferences can help those organising your service to:

• make more confident decisions
• deal with different opinions
• represent your true wishes.

While you can include your funeral wishes in your will, it's best if they're also shared and communicated separately because the will is often not read or seen until after the funeral or memorial service.

Learn more about your funeral and burial options at Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW.

Paying for a funeral

You can organise to pay for a funeral in several ways, including:

• prepaid funerals (kept with a funeral home)
• funeral insurance.

In many cases, funeral costs can be paid from the assets of your estate, often from your bank account. In other circumstances, a family member or loved one will pay and then be reimbursed from your estate assets, provided there are sufficient assets to cover the funeral costs.

ASIC's Moneysmart has more information about paying for a funeral.

If you want to register as an organ donor

Organs and tissue donations are used to save or transform a person's life. And almost anyone can donate, including older people and those with chronic health conditions.

Find out more about organ donation at DonateLife.