Death in a family may occur in unexpected times. When this happens, family members will be devastated because of the loss. Family members who are left behind may be stricken with too much grief that they might lose focus to handle the different arrangements that are necessary during the times of mourning.
When death comes, it is natural for members of the family, friends and relatives to mourn the loss of a loved one. However, there must be somebody responsible enough to overcome their grief in order for them to make the necessary arrangements for the deceased. Hiring the services of a funeral parlour such as Funeral Home Guatemala can be a very wise decision because they will be the ones to prepare the different arrangements so that you and your family can focus on handling your grief.
If you wish to handle all the necessary tasks yourself, here is a list of places to go to make arrangements:
• Funeral Parlours. If you are given the task to make funeral arrangements for a loved one, the most important decision that you must make is in choosing the right funeral home for the dead. Although making an in-depth phone call can help you make a decision, it is still best to go to the funeral home in person and conduct a personal interview with the staff. In choosing the right funeral home, make sure that you take into account the way the members of the staff respond to your questions about their services. Confident and professional staff members show that their services are of high quality.
When you are checking out the funeral home, you should also check if they have the necessary licenses, trainings and qualifications to give your loved one the best final arrangements that they can offer. Also check for their facilities and consider their location. A funeral home or cemetery that is close to home is ideal because you can have frequent visits whenever you want.
When choosing a funeral home, visit several funeral homes to compare their prizes. When you visit a funeral home in person, they are required by law to give you an itemized listing of the cost of the services that they are offering.
• Banks. When a death is unexpected, a loved one may leave unresolved financial accounts. It is important to go to the banks personally to declare that your loved one has died so that arrangements can be made to close all his or her bank accounts. It is important that you have extra copies of your loved one’s death certificate because this will be required in all financial, legal and administrative transactions.
Credit card companies must also be notified of the death of your loved one. Cancel all your loved one’s existing credit cards and ask that his or her debt be consolidated so that you can resolve paying them all at a later date. Usually, the state requires that all unpaid credit card debts are shouldered by the spouse of the deceased.
• Government Agencies. Most people have social security which offers benefits to the beneficiaries of their members. If your loved one has social security, check the government agency for benefits that is due to you. Again, the death certificate of your loved one is needed for this transaction.
• Life Insurance Agencies. If your loved one or spouse has a life insurance policy, then it is important to go to their office to claim whatever benefits are due to you based on the policy. There are insurance companies that will not voluntarily give you the benefits that are due to you and your family so you should go to them and claim the benefits in person.
• Estate Lawyers. Estate lawyers are responsible for distributing the estate of your loved one. It is advisable to go to them in order to know how your loved one’s estate is going to be divided. Estate lawyers will also tell you how much taxes you need to pay in accordance with the estate’s distribution.
If you are having trouble in resolving certain accounts of your loved one, your estate lawyers can offer their services so that they can you can resolve all your loved one’s accounts.
Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on funeraria Guatemala and funerales Guatemala, visit his site today.
When death comes, it is natural for members of the family, friends and relatives to mourn the loss of a loved one. However, there must be somebody responsible enough to overcome their grief in order for them to make the necessary arrangements for the deceased. Hiring the services of a funeral parlour such as Funeral Home Guatemala can be a very wise decision because they will be the ones to prepare the different arrangements so that you and your family can focus on handling your grief.
If you wish to handle all the necessary tasks yourself, here is a list of places to go to make arrangements:
• Funeral Parlours. If you are given the task to make funeral arrangements for a loved one, the most important decision that you must make is in choosing the right funeral home for the dead. Although making an in-depth phone call can help you make a decision, it is still best to go to the funeral home in person and conduct a personal interview with the staff. In choosing the right funeral home, make sure that you take into account the way the members of the staff respond to your questions about their services. Confident and professional staff members show that their services are of high quality.
When you are checking out the funeral home, you should also check if they have the necessary licenses, trainings and qualifications to give your loved one the best final arrangements that they can offer. Also check for their facilities and consider their location. A funeral home or cemetery that is close to home is ideal because you can have frequent visits whenever you want.
When choosing a funeral home, visit several funeral homes to compare their prizes. When you visit a funeral home in person, they are required by law to give you an itemized listing of the cost of the services that they are offering.
• Banks. When a death is unexpected, a loved one may leave unresolved financial accounts. It is important to go to the banks personally to declare that your loved one has died so that arrangements can be made to close all his or her bank accounts. It is important that you have extra copies of your loved one’s death certificate because this will be required in all financial, legal and administrative transactions.
Credit card companies must also be notified of the death of your loved one. Cancel all your loved one’s existing credit cards and ask that his or her debt be consolidated so that you can resolve paying them all at a later date. Usually, the state requires that all unpaid credit card debts are shouldered by the spouse of the deceased.
• Government Agencies. Most people have social security which offers benefits to the beneficiaries of their members. If your loved one has social security, check the government agency for benefits that is due to you. Again, the death certificate of your loved one is needed for this transaction.
• Life Insurance Agencies. If your loved one or spouse has a life insurance policy, then it is important to go to their office to claim whatever benefits are due to you based on the policy. There are insurance companies that will not voluntarily give you the benefits that are due to you and your family so you should go to them and claim the benefits in person.
• Estate Lawyers. Estate lawyers are responsible for distributing the estate of your loved one. It is advisable to go to them in order to know how your loved one’s estate is going to be divided. Estate lawyers will also tell you how much taxes you need to pay in accordance with the estate’s distribution.
If you are having trouble in resolving certain accounts of your loved one, your estate lawyers can offer their services so that they can you can resolve all your loved one’s accounts.
Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on funeraria Guatemala and funerales Guatemala, visit his site today.
