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Final wishes planner

Print your final wishes on one sheet for your person, plus a wallet card.

The planner needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser. The notes below still explain who should get a copy of your wishes and how to give your person the legal say.

Step 1 of 13

Who will carry out your wishes?

Someone who has said yes: a friend, a neighbor, a paid professional.

For example: friend, neighbor, my lawyer.

Many US states let you name this person on a signed form, and in much of Canada the executor named in your will has the say. Rules differ by place: what a funeral agent does.

With what you've typed so far. You can come back and add more.

No account. Nothing you type leaves your device.

This tool organizes information and is provided as is. It isn't legal, medical, tax or financial advice. Before you sign or rely on anything, check with a licensed attorney in your state or province. Terms

Why it matters with no family nearby

A final wishes planner matters more with no family nearby: someone still has to know what you want, have the legal say to arrange it, and have the money to pay for it.

How to use your plan

Answering the questions

Every question is optional. Skip a main question and it prints as blank lines, so you can fill it in by pen.

Who gets a copy

  • The person you named. Ask them before you write their name down. It's a real job: a few phone calls, some forms, and decisions on a hard week.
  • Your backup, so they aren't starting from nothing if your first person can't do it.
  • Your executor, if that's someone else, and the funeral home, if you have a prepaid plan.

Where to keep it

Keep your copy with your other important papers, and put the wallet card next to your ID. Don't keep the only copy inside your will or in a safe deposit box: those are often opened after the funeral, not before.

Review it when things change

Look at it again when you move, when your person or your plan changes, or when you change your mind. Every sheet prints the date you made it, so anyone reading it knows how current it is. Keep the PDF on your computer to start from next time.

This sheet tells people what you want. On its own it doesn't give anyone the legal right to arrange your funeral. Many US states let you name a person for this on a signed form, and in much of Canada the executor named in your will has the say. The rules, forms and deadlines differ by state and province.

  • Funeral planning checklist: every decision, who carries out each one, and who pays.
  • Who pays for a funeral when there's no family to pick up the bill.
  • Prepaid funeral plans and Medicaid, and canceling a prepaid plan.
  • What direct cremation costs, what a green burial costs, and donating your body to science.
  • Who will care for your pets when you die.

This planner is general information, not legal advice. It prints what you type and doesn't check it.