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PRE PLANNING
The main purpose of this section is to call attention to the 87 decisions that must be made by a survivor after a death. By making these important decisions now, you can minimize the emotional strain that will be placed on your survivors.
A) Secure Vital Statistics
  1. Name, home address, telephone
  2. How long at present address
  3. Name of business, address, and telephone
  4. Occupation and title
  5. Social Insurance Number
  6. Military Service Serial Number
  7. Date of Birth
  8. Place of Birth
  9. Citizenship
10. Father's name
11. Father's birthplace
12. Mother's maiden name
13. Mother's birthplace
14. Religious name (if any)

B) Pay some or all of the following
15. Funeral arrangements
16. Internment service
17. Clergy
18. Florist
19. Clothing
20. Cemetery property
21. Memorials
22. Transportation
23. Telephone and telegraph
24. Food and accommodation
25. Doctors
26. Nurses
27. Hospitals and ambulance
28. Medicine and drugs
29. Other current or urgent bills (Mortgage or rent, taxes, installment payments)

c) Collect Documents (Required to establish rights for insurance, pensions, social security, ownership, relationship, etc.)
30. Will
31. Legal proof of age or Birth Certificate
32. Social Insurance Number
33. Marriage license
34. Citizenship papers
35. Insurance policies (life, disability & health)
36. Bank books
37. Deeds to property
38. Bill of sale for car
39. Income tax returns, receipts, or cancelled cheques
40. Military discharge certificate
41. Disability claims
42. Cemetery Certificate of Ownership 		D) Decide and Arrange within a Few Hours
43. Which funeral home
44. Place where service is to be held
45. Time of funeral service
46. Casket type
47. Clothing for deceased
48. Vault or sectional crypt
49. Type of service (religious, military, fraternal)
50. Special selection from scriptures
51. Clergy to officiate
52. Decide name of charitable organization(s) to which donations are suggested in memory of the deceased
53. Providing information for eulogy
54. Select pallbearers
55. Flowers
56. Music
57. Cemetery lot location and which space to open
58. Memorial type and inscription
59. Clothing for you and your children
60. Preparation at home, including food for family and guests
61. Extra chairs
62. Transportation for family and guests
63. Checking and signing necessary papers for burial permit
64. Obituary
65. Providing telephone numbers for all interested people
66. Answering sympathetic phone calls, messages, wires, and letters
67. Meeting and talking with funeral director, cemetery, representative, clergy, about all details
68. Greeting all friends and relatives who call.
69. Arranging for meeting relatives who arrive from out of town
70. Providing lodging for out-of-town relatives
71. Make list of donations and floral tributes sent for mailing card of thanks
72. Arranging for special religious services
73. Check Will regarding special wishes
74. Order death certificate
75. Look after minor children

E) Notify as soon as possible
76. The doctor(s)
77. The funeral director
78. The cemetery
79. Relatives
80. Friends
81. Employer of deceased
82. Employers of relatives not going to work
83. Pallbearers
84. Insurance agents (Life, Disability & Health)
85. Religious, fraternal, civic, veteran organizations, unions
86. Newspapers regarding notices
87. Attorney, accountant and executor of estate

Other Important Preplanning Information:

Taxes
Your estate could be much larger than you think, attracting larger taxes upon death than you anticipated. Your taxable estate includes, life insurance (where no beneficiary other than your estate is named), real estate, stocks and bonds, the market value of business interests, automobiles, household furniture and other property. When you plan properly, your estate will pay less tax and survivors will receive more. The lawyer who prepares your Will should be familiar with all of your assets. To minimize taxes which will be payable in the event of your death, you should contact your accountant and financial advisor regularly to ensure that you have planned properly.
Military Service Information
Veteran's discharge papers and service record are the most important documents for the family to have available. If the Veteran does not have a copy of this information, an immediate request should be made to:

The Canadian Armed Forces Record Ce nter
Public Archives of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N3		 If the Veteran is the recipient of a War Disability Pension or War Veterans Allowance, the Funeral Director should contact the Department of Veteran's Affairs to inquire as the the eligibility of the Veteran for a Funeral Grant. If the Veteran is not eligible for such a Grant and the family or estate of the Veteran is unable to pay for the funeral, then an application can be made for a Last Post Burial. Your Funeral Director should have the form and will advise you on this.
Wills, Executor & Power of Attorney
Why should you have a Will? A properly drawn, up-to-date Will is one of the finest family safeguards.

When a person dies without a Will it is referred to as 'dying intestate'. The administration of such an estate is increased, and the intestate laws may not result in the distribution of your estate as you would have wished.

This is why a Will is so vital. It is the only way that you can control the distribution of your property at death. The decision of who should act as your executor should also be made. Discuss it with the person you planned to name as executor - find out if he or she is		 willing to serve. Then discuss it with your lawyer. After you have made your Will, take your executor into confidence regarding your wishes.

It is also advisable that a qualified person be appointed as Power of Attorney who is not necessarily your executor. This appointment gives that person rights to make decisions on your behalf should you become incompetent.

Remember that having a Will and appointing the Power of Attorney is an expression of concern for the well being of those you love. if you have not made any of the arrangements discussed, we urge you to do so as soon as possible.