Important Information to bring to your funeral director

As a Funeral Director, I am often asked about the ‘things’ that are needed when someone passes away.  And while each individual and their personal and financial affairs are very different and usually private, I think there is a very important case to be made for leaving, or sharing this important information with someone trustworthy, or, to leave them in a secure place that is known by our significant others for our families that we leave behind to better finalise our affairs.

The basic information required by your funeral director to finalise the statutory requirements of your death are listed below:

• Date of Birth
• Place of Birth
• Your parents full given names, including your mother’s maiden name
• Your place and date of marriage
• Full name, including maiden name of your husband and wife
• Full name and date of birth of your children
• Pension (Centrelink), Medicare and Veterans Affair numbers

While these statistical facts about your life complete the statutory requirements that need to be fulfilled, there is so much more to leave to your family that will help them through this difficult time.  Simple things like the following:

• Where are your important documents kept, like your Will, Deed to property, Investment information, contact details for your Solicitor, Accountant, Financial Advisor etc
• Superannuation fund membership
• Email passwords and IT Log in details
• Social media log in information
• Social and service club memberships (Lions, Rotary, RSL Sub-Branch, Fishing, Golf, Bowling Clubs to name a few)

While this list is far from exhausting, I hope that it would prompt the thought or discussion to start to best prepare for our own death.  I firmly believe that discussing our death, or our funerals, never made someone die any quicker than usual, but it does allow for us, and our families to be the best prepared that we possibly can be; and in turn have the smoothest transition to a new life without us, and give us the best funeral they can.

I have deliberately not discussed the personal aspects of a funeral service in this post, that is a whole post to itself, and more probably quite a few posts!!

C.