3 Lawyer-Free Estate Planning Tips

Some of the most important estate planning techniques don't require a single billable hour from a lawyer. They just require you to have the discipline to sit down and do them.

The following steps by no means constitute a complete estate plan but they are easy enough to do in an afternoon without assistance from anyone with a law degree.

Tip #1: Purchase a Burial Policy

The average funeral costs somewhere between $7,000 and $12,000, which means your grieving family may experience financial stress alongside their emotional trauma.

A burial policy is a small life insurance policy specifically designed to cover these costs. It's easier to qualify for than traditional life insurance, and the premiums are usually quite reasonable. Most importantly, it helps remove the immediate stress that comes with losing a loved one.

Tip #2: Write Down Your Wishes for a Funeral

We all have opinions about everything. But for some reason, many people leave their funeral arrangements to the imagination of their survivors.

The easiest way to avoid this is to write it down. All of it. Buried or cremated? What kind of service? Religious or secular? Specific music or readings? This isn't morbid—it's practical. It's the same reason you leave instructions for the babysitter. You're not going to be there to answer questions, so you might as well provide the answers in advance.

Tip #3: Communicate Your Plans Early with Family

It’s funny how we are all fairly comfortable discussing death in the abstract but mention your own mortality in specific terms, and suddenly everyone gets uncomfortable. It's as if talking about your own death might somehow make it happen faster.

This is magical thinking. Death won't show up just because you talk about it. What will happen is that your family will be infinitely better prepared if you've had actual conversations about your plans instead of leaving them to come up with something after they’ve just lost you.

Yes, it's awkward. Do it anyway. The alternative is leaving your loved ones to navigate grief while trying to figure out what you would have wanted.

Final Thought

These three tips share a common thread: they're about taking responsibility for your own life—and death—instead of assuming someone else will figure it out. They’re about being thoughtful, being prepared, and being kind to the people you're leaving behind.

So here's your homework: Buy the policy. Write down your wishes. Have the conversations. Your family will thank you for it.