It can be hard to know where to start when you sit down to begin end of life planning. Realising it's not simply about having a will can make it feel a bit daunting.
But you’re not alone. Market data shows that record numbers of people are planning ahead, with over 100,000 funeral plans sold in the first half of 2025 alone.* Despite some people seeing end of life planning as morbid, these numbers are very encouraging. Having all your end of life planning – including funeral planning – prepared in advance means that your loved ones will know exactly what to do and who to call when the time comes. Giving your family and friends the space to grieve without the pressure of planning a funeral on top is one of the kindest things you can do.
As well as bringing relief to your loved ones in the long term, proper planning can ease your own mind, helping ensure your wishes are respected and that your assets (and pets!) are protected, as well as sparing your family the burden of difficult decisions. Plus, with 35 years’ experience, over one million people have chosen to plan ahead with Golden Charter.* We know how to help people make the hard choices when it comes to funeral planning.
Breaking things down into smaller steps often makes seemingly impossible tasks seem a lot more doable; end of life planning is no exception. With this in mind, let’s break down the main points.
How to start the conversation about funeral planning
We might not enjoy talking about death and funerals, but end of life planning has very real benefits. For example, did you know that over half of people who didn’t know what their deceased loved one wanted for their funeral say they felt under pressure when organising the funeral? Most people report this was because they wanted to get things right in the memory of their loved one, while others said the pressure came from family members to do things a certain way.* So, with everyone on the same page regarding your funeral and end of life wishes now, the likelihood of family disagreements later is reduced.
To get everyone on the same page, funeral and end of life plans need to be communicated to the right people, at the right time. The right people don’t necessarily need to be family members. They could also be a friend, a social worker, or a solicitor.
Finding the right time for serious discussions such as these can be tricky, but it’s best to have them during a quiet period. If you are currently in a stressful situation, it might be better to wait until things calm down if possible before you broach the topic.
If you’re stuck on how to start the conversation about funeral planning, here are some ideas you can use to get things moving:
'I’ve been thinking about the future and want to make things easier for you later on.'
'Can we talk about what you’d want for your funeral? It might give us both peace of mind.'
'I’ve been looking into funeral plans. It might be something worth thinking about together.'
For a more in-depth look at how to begin the funeral planning discussion and guide it to its conclusion, you can read our blog, ‘How to start the conversation about funeral planning.’
The role of wills and Powers of Attorney
Wills
While wills aren’t a legal requirement, they’re the only way to control who inherits your money and possessions (otherwise known as ‘assets’) after you pass away. Your assets are managed by the person you name as your executor; this person will make sure your wishes are carried out as written in the will.
Powers of Attorney
Wills are more like funeral plans in that they deal with your wishes after you die, whereas a Power of Attorney is concerned with your wishes if you lose capacity to carry them out. In a Power of Attorney, you nominate a trusted person to handle important medical and financial matters while you are incapacitated. There are two different types of Power of Attorney:
- A Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney, which gives the trusted person named in the document the ability to make medical decisions on your behalf.
- A Property and Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney, which allows the named trusted person to deal with your financial affairs on your behalf, such as paying bills or handling bank accounts.
A Power of Attorney becomes legal when it is validated and registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. It can either be used straight away or, if the Power of Attorney specifies that it can only be used upon loss of capacity, after a medical assessment has taken place.
What’s the difference between a will, a Power of Attorney and a funeral plan?
Sometimes, the purpose behind all these different services can be a little confusing. Why can’t you just have one? The fact is that you don’t need to legally have any of these things in place, but the more you have, the better protected and informed your loved ones are in case anything should happen to you, and the greater the likelihood that your wishes will be fulfilled.
| Will | Funeral plan | Power of Attorney |
|---|---|---|
| Controls who receives your assets after you pass away | Pre-pays for funeral director services and contains your wishes for your funeral after you pass away | Names the person or people who will make medical and financial decisions for you while you are alive but lack capacity |
| An executor carries out your wishes | A funeral director carries out your wishes | A trusted person carries out your wishes |
| Deals with all of your money and possessions. Can be used to cover funeral costs, with extras being divided among other named people in the will | Only deals with funeral costs | Deals with important financial decision-making that you would normally make, e.g. banking, bills, everyday purchases for your upkeep like groceries |
| Wills come into effect when you pass away. It might take some time to read the will, which means loved ones may have to pay funeral costs out of pocket and be reimbursed later | Funeral plans come into effect when you pass away. Funds are available immediately, provided that minimum payments have been met (check your plan paperwork for terms and conditions) | A Power of Attorney comes into effect straight after validation and registration with the Office of the Public Guardian. Or, if the Power of Attorney specifies that it can only be used upon loss of capacity, after a medical assessment has taken place |
The most important thing to remember about any end of life planning documentation is to keep it somewhere secure, but also to let your trusted person or people know where it is. There’s no point in going to the trouble of making these documents if no-one can find them when they’re needed.
Medical wishes and advance decisions
No-one likes thinking about medical emergencies, but it’s always best to have these decisions written down if you’re contemplating end of life planning. With clear guidance on what to do if the worst happens, your loves ones will thank you for reducing their emotional burden during an already difficult time. Even if you have a medical Power of Attorney in place, your trusted person will be spared feelings of guilt or stress over decision-making, despite having been given the authority to do so.
Some medical wishes and advance decisions to think about during end of life planning include:
- Writing down specific treatments that you don’t want – if you ever find yourself in a position where you lose the ability to communicate, it would be useful for your loved ones to know where you stand on treatment. For example, if you do not want to be resuscitated in a life-threatening situation or don’t want to receive blood transfusions for religious reasons, make sure they’re aware of your choices.
- Letting people know where you’d like to receive care – would you prefer to be cared for at home, with your loved ones? In the hospital or a hospice, with medical and care professionals? Let your loved ones know so they can provide the care you think is best.
- Organ donation – ensure that your loved ones know whether you’d be willing to be an organ donor in an emergency.
Helpful resources:
Read here for advice on how to make an advance decision to refuse treatment: Advance decision (living will) - NHS
Register to be a donor or opt out online with the NHS Organ Donor Register
Learn more about Powers of Attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian: Office of the Public Guardian - GOV.UK
Planning your funeral wishes: Personalisation
There are several ‘bigger picture’ points to consider when planning your funeral, such as:
- Choice of funeral director
- Plan and payment flexibility
- What’s included in the plan
- Fees
- Cancellation terms
- Whether you want a burial or a cremation
- Transportation
However, there are also smaller, more personal decisions to make when funeral planning that will let your unique life story and personality shine through during the service, like:
- Which songs you’d like played or hymns sung
- Dress codes
- Flowers
- Charity donations
- Readings
- Eco friendly options
- Location
- Coffin type
You might decide that you don’t want a service and prefer to have a no fuss direct cremation, with no family or friends in attendance – and that’s also okay. There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to funeral planning. There’s just what’s best for you.
For a deeper dive into how to go about planning a funeral that’s meaningful to you, our blog on ‘How to make funeral planning meaningful’ is the perfect place to start.
Planning your funeral wishes: Finance
Funeral planning doesn’t just save your family and friends from stress; it also saves them money. Research shows that funeral organisers who know even some of their loved one’s wishes save an average of £335 on send-off costs.* This is because they won’t need to waste money on unnecessary costs; they already know what you wanted.
There are a variety of methods people use to pay for their funeral. Some people choose to fund funeral costs in advance, whereas others prefer to leave instructions and use savings to pay at the time. The right approach depends on your personal circumstances.
Golden Charter offers a range of pre-paid funeral plans with flexible payment options, so you’re sure to find something that suits you. For more information on our pre-paid funeral plans, costs, and payment options, check out our funeral plans page.
Looking after your digital legacy
Appointing a trusted person, or ‘Digital Executor’, to take care of your important digital documents, photos, email or social media accounts after you pass away will ensure that your digital legacy is protected according to your wishes.
Once you’ve appointed your digital executor, give them a list of your social media and email accounts, online banking and file/photo storage. Remember not to give this trusted person your passwords; they won’t need them. All they need to do is contact each company directly and ask for the account to be closed.
With some social media platforms, it’s also possible for accounts to be memorialised when the account holder passes away. Make sure to instruct your digital executor on whether you’d like the account to be closed or memorialised.
It’s also worth making a list of photos you’d like to be saved and shared with loved ones as a way to remember you by.
Providing for dependents and pets
Dependents
If you have any dependents or minors that will need to be cared for after you pass away, legal guardians can be appointed in your will. Just be sure to let the potential guardian or guardians know your plans before writing them into the will, so they are aware of their responsibilities.
Pets
Pets aren’t just creatures that live in your house and eat your food: they’re family members. So, when the time comes for you to leave them, you’ll want to do so knowing that they’re in the best care possible.
After speaking with a family member or friend to make sure they’re willing to take in your beloved pet, you could leave a note with their name in your will as your furry friend’s new caretaker.
However, sometimes that’s not an option.
The good news is that there are plenty of other things you can do. Local rescue centres or charities like The Cinnamon Trust can take care of short-term fostering, so your pet will be in a home away from home.
Otherwise, signing up to services now that take in and rehome pets after their owners pass away will ensure that people will know what to do in the future. Some examples of these services include:
The Blue Cross’s Pet Peace of Mind
The Dog’s Trust Canine Care Card
The Cat’s Protection Cat Guardians
Creating an end of life planning folder
Throughout this blog, we’ve mentioned the importance of making people aware of your end of life choices and the location of any major documentation. One way of ensuring that the paperwork is all easily accessible is by gathering it all together in a physical or secure digital folder.
Here are some of the items you could put into the end of life planning folder:
- Your will
- Funeral plan documents
- Insurance policy numbers
- House deeds
- Pet information
- ‘Digital legacy’ instructions (though remember – don't write down any passwords!)
End of life planning checklist
Hopefully, we’ve made end of life planning seem less overwhelming. It’s a lot to handle but taking things step by step can make anything feel achievable. To this end, we’ve put together a checklist below of things to tick off while end of life planning:
Start the Conversation
- Communicate your funeral and end of life wishes clearly.
Legal & Practical Documents
- Will & Executors
- Write a will outlining who inherits your assets.
- Appoint an executor you trust.
- Include plans for guardianship of dependents and/or pets.
- Powers of Attorney
- Choose a trusted person to make medical and financial decisions if you lose capacity.
- Register all Power of Attorney documents with the Office of the Public Guardian.
Health & Medical Decisions
- Document your medical wishes and advance decisions (e.g., treatments you do or don’t want).
Funeral Planning
- Plan your funeral wishes (personalisation, preferences, type of service).
- Plan funeral finances (payment method, costs, or prepaid plan).
Digital Legacy
- Appoint a ‘digital executor.’
- List all digital accounts (email, social media, banking, cloud storage).
- Specify whether each account should be closed or memorialised.
- Make a list of important photos/documents you want preserved.
- Do not record any passwords — just the account list.
Organise Your Documents
- Create an end of life planning folder containing all key documents.
- Store it securely and ensure trusted individuals know where to find it.
The point about thinking of these things now – and most importantly, talking about them – is to save yourself and your loved ones financial and emotional stress in the long term. When you’re ready, we’ll be here to support you.
You can search for your nearest Golden Charter-approved funeral director on our website. Don’t forget to look for the Golden Charter seal.
Chat to our friendly and experienced team. They’re available from 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday. Give them a no-obligation call, free, on 0800 090 2258.
If you prefer to buy online, then you can also have a look at the funeral plans page on our website.
