Religion and values can be a very important aspect of many people's lives, something that they care about even after they pass on. For numerous families in our country, these religious beliefs are often very important to pass along to the future generations, many time seven more than estate and finances. When many people hear of the topic of estate planning it is very easy to assume that it deals only with physical assets and money, and that is simply not true. Believe it or not, religious beliefs and personal values can also be carried over when a person or couple plans their estate.
Whether you are a religious person or just have certain values you hold dear, these can be implemented into how you plan your estate in a number of ways. First off, your wishes for the end-of-life care can be established when you plan your estate. This means that when you are in the place where you are unable to make medical decisions for yourself, you name a specific person who will make the choice for you.
For those individuals who have strong religious convictions, you have the opportunity to name a person who shares those same values so that even in the last days your religious values can be honored. This not only includes the option of whether to save a life, or let them pass on; but also details such as organ donation, the use of pain medications, as well as care facilities. Depending on your religious convictions, these details may be very important to you, which is why estate planning is such a beneficial aspect of planning for your last days and life afterwards for your loved ones.
Another important factor for estate planning when considering your religious wishes is what happens with your funeral and burial arrangements. For example, you may have certain beliefs as to what happens with your body when you die whether it is autopsies, embalming, burying or cremation, etc. Depending on your religious values you may or may not want to have a funeral or memorial service, and by creating an estate plan ahead of time you will have the opportunity to make a clear document specifically stating your wishes for after you die.
Whether you are religious or not, you may still have a strong opinion as to what happens with your money after you die specifically with charitable giving and estate planning will allow you to make sure that you money goes where you want it to. Whether it is donating to a community charity, a local religious organization or a hospital, etc. by laying out these specific requests in your estate planning process you will be able to rest assured that your money will go where you desire it to. This is a neat opportunity for your family to also see how much giving back to the community is important to you, even after you pass away. Giving back is a blessing to others and to be able to do so after you die will be a strong example to your children as they see you doing so.
Lastly, when you participate in estate planning you will be able to state what and how much you give to your children and those close to you. Perhaps you want your grandchildren to attend a religious school when they get older, so you decide to leave funds for your child so that they will be able to do so in the coming years. The list of possibilities is endless, and those who have strong religious beliefs will find estate planning a useful tool for both themselves and their future generations. Contact an estate planning attorney today to discuss your probate options!