WELLINGTON COUNTY – In a world full of uncertainties, planning for the future is more essential than ever.
And while drafting a will isn’t exactly a fun way to spend the day, it is essential when it comes to planning for the future and alleviating unnecessary stress for loved ones.
“The point of prearranging [a will] is getting all that information in a file so that the family doesn’t need to be hunting around for certain pertinent information at the most emotional time,” said Betty Ann Young, co-owner of Wall Custance Funeral Home and Chapel in Guelph.
“It just kind of puts everybody’s mind a little bit at ease because they had the forethought to do some planning.”
However, sometimes a death can happen unexpectedly and in some cases this could mean there is no written will.
In situations like this, Young told the Advertiser, the responsibility would fall to the next of kin.
“So obviously we would guide them through that. And there’s lots of different dynamics, because every family is a little bit different,” said Young.
“If there’s an actual spouse, that they’re actually married or have common law status, there is kind of … a chain of events.
“If there’s no spouse, then we would take instruction from children, but only if the children are of a legal age, and if there’s more than one child, let’s say there’s three kids, and none of them agree on anything.
“We have to kind of get them all in a room together and kind of find a common ground for them to all agree upon.”
Young says having a will is essential in maintaining a family’s dynamic after passing, as a clear plan will work to avoid any differing opinions or conflicting decisions between survivors.
Having a will is also a great way to outline specifics when it comes to the funeral procession and to ensure one’s funeral truly reflects the individual.
“Some people are very connected to their church, so they are very specific. They might pick out their readings, they might pick out their music. I’ve had people write their own obituaries,” said Young.
“People love doing the slide shows. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and slide shows show a person’s life, shows all their memories.”
