Explainer: Pre-Planning a Funeral in Singapore
Arranging the funeral of a loved one is difficult. Discussing the details with your loved one while they’re still alive is even more difficult.
However, it’s a conversation that one must have in order to make the funeral planning process a little bit easier when it happens. In this quick guide, we’ll talk about pre-planning a funeral in Singapore, and why it’s essential.
Consider Making a Checklist
Before anything else, you might want to consider making a checklist of things you or your loved one would like to have in their funeral.
Some questions to ask yourself or a loved one include:
- Do I want to be cremated or buried?
- If I opt for cremation, how do I want my family to manage my ashes? Do I want my ashes to be stored in a columbarium? Or perhaps scattered at sea?
- How long do I want the wake to be? Is embalming necessary?
- What religious rites do I want present during the wake or funeral?
- What do I want my casket to be like?
All these considerations will play an important role in planning and managing your budget. It helps to write everything down so you or your loved one will have a reference.
From there, we highly recommend checking out estimates for funeral services or products online so you can plan your budget accordingly. List down how much you’re willing to spend for a certain service or product.
Shop Around for Funeral Homes
Pre-planning a funeral is a service that’s common among many funeral parlours in Singapore. Because you’re not exactly in a rush to make bookings immediately, take time to shop around for funeral parlours so you can find the lowest prices available in the market.
To do that, consider your beliefs, first and foremost.
There are many funeral parlours in Singapore that specialise in Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Christian, Catholic, and Hindu funerals. There are also those that cater to non-religious or free thinker funerals.
While you’re not required to book a funeral ahead, it can be a helpful way to cut down expenses and ease financial burden on your loved ones.
That’s because pre-paying for a funeral technically locks down current prices. Looking years ahead into the future, funeral costs will definitely rise due to inflation.
Get Your Will in Order
Of course, you’ll also need to make decisions about how your personal finances, property, and other assets will be managed after you pass away. To do that, you’ll want to hire a probate attorney who can update your will.
If you pass away without a will, your assets will be distributed according to the Intestate Succession Act. This means that the Family Justice Court will decide what happens to your assets and to whom it will be distributed.
It can also be helpful to make an inventory of your assets. List down your properties, vehicles, savings, jewelry, and other valuable personal items, and to whom you wish to pass it on after you pass away.