Nobody wants to think about dying. But planning ahead protects the people you love from stress, confusion and unnecessary expense when your time comes. Without clear instructions, families often struggle with difficult decisions during an already painful period. They face uncertainty about what you wanted, where your documents are, and how to pay for everything.
A proper end of life plan removes that burden. It records your wishes for medical care, sorts out legal paperwork, organises your finances, and sets out your funeral preferences. Everything sits in one place, ready when needed.
This guide walks you through four key areas of end of life planning. You’ll learn how to document your care preferences, create essential legal documents, organise your financial information, and plan your funeral arrangements. Each step includes practical actions you can take today, plus links to helpful resources and downloadable tools.
What end of life planning involves
End of life planning covers four essential areas that work together to protect you and your family. Each area handles different aspects of your final wishes and practical arrangements. This end of life planning guide breaks down each element into clear, manageable steps you can complete at your own pace.
The four planning areas
Your care and medical decisions form the first area. This includes advance care planning documents that tell healthcare staff which treatments you want or refuse if you become unable to communicate. Legal documents make up the second area, covering your will and power of attorney arrangements that determine who makes decisions on your behalf and what happens to your property.
The financial and information element forms the third area. You organise account details, insurance policies, pension information, and important passwords so executors can access everything they need quickly. Funeral preferences complete the picture, recording whether you want burial or cremation and how you’d like people to remember you.
Planning across all four areas gives your family a complete roadmap when the time comes.
Step 1. Capture your care and medical wishes
Your medical preferences shape the treatment you receive when you cannot speak for yourself. Recording these decisions protects your dignity and spares family members from guessing what you would have wanted. Start by thinking through the types of care you would accept or refuse in different situations.
Create an advance decision (living will)
An advance decision legally refuses specific medical treatments you don’t want if you lose mental capacity. You can reject procedures like resuscitation, ventilation, or artificial feeding. The document must be written, signed, and witnessed by someone not related to you or named in your will.
State each treatment clearly and describe the circumstances when your refusal applies. For life-sustaining treatments, you must include specific wording: "Even if my life is at risk". Keep the original safe and give copies to your GP, close family members, and anyone holding power of attorney for health and welfare.
A properly witnessed advance decision carries the same legal weight as a decision you make while mentally capable.
Document your wider care preferences
Beyond refusing treatment, record your general preferences for care in an advance statement. This non-binding document guides medical staff and family on matters like where you want to receive care, pain management approaches, religious considerations, and who should be involved in decisions.
Create a simple template with sections for:
- Preferred place of care (home, hospice, hospital)
- Pain relief preferences and comfort priorities
- Who should be consulted about your care
- Cultural, spiritual or religious needs
- Organ donation wishes
Share this end of life planning guide document with your GP and keep it with your medical records.
Step 2. Put your legal documents in order
Legal paperwork forms the backbone of any end of life planning guide. Without proper documents, your assets might not reach the people you intended, and family disputes can drag on for years. Two key documents protect your wishes: a will and a lasting power of attorney. Both require specific formats and witnesses to be legally valid.
Write or update your will
A valid will names your executors, distributes your property, appoints guardians for children, and covers funeral wishes. You can write one yourself using this template structure:
Basic Will Template:
- Opening statement with full name and address
- Revocation of all previous wills
- Executor appointments (name at least two people)
- Guardian appointments for children under 18
- Specific gifts (property, money, jewellery, personal items)
- Residuary clause for everything else
- Your signature with date
- Two witness signatures with dates and addresses
Your witnesses must be over 18, not beneficiaries in the will or married to beneficiaries, and present when you sign. Date the document clearly. Store the original in a fireproof safe or with a solicitor, and tell your executors where to find it.
A will written without proper witnesses carries no legal weight, leaving your estate subject to intestacy rules.
Arrange lasting power of attorney
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) lets chosen people make decisions if you lose mental capacity. You need two separate LPAs: one for property and financial affairs, another for health and welfare. Register both with the Office of the Public Guardian before you need them, as the process takes several weeks. Each LPA costs £82 to register and requires a certificate provider to confirm you understand what you’re signing.
Step 3. Organise your money and key information
Your financial records need to be accessible when you die or lose capacity. Executors and family members must locate bank accounts, insurance policies, investments, pensions, and debts quickly to settle your estate. Scattered information causes delays, missed claims, and potential losses. Creating a master inventory of your financial life gives executors everything they need in one place.
Create a financial inventory
List every account, policy, and asset you own in a single document. Your inventory should capture the institution name, account numbers, approximate values, and contact details. Store physical copies in your fireproof safe and give a sealed copy to your executor.
Financial Inventory Template:
| Category | Provider | Account/Policy Number | Value | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank current account | ||||
| Bank savings account | ||||
| Credit card | ||||
| Mortgage | ||||
| Life insurance | ||||
| Pension | ||||
| Investments/ISAs |
Include property deeds, vehicle documents, and outstanding loan details. Update this end of life planning guide document yearly or after major financial changes.
Executors spend an average of 12 hours hunting for financial information after someone dies without a proper inventory.
Compile your digital access list
Record usernames and passwords for essential online accounts, email addresses, cloud storage, and social media. Keep this sensitive list separate from your financial inventory in a password manager or encrypted file. Grant your executor access to the password manager or leave clear instructions on how to retrieve the master password from your solicitor.
Step 4. Decide on funerals and farewells
Your funeral arrangements determine how people say goodbye and remember you. Recording these preferences removes guesswork and prevents family arguments during grief. Consider whether you want burial or cremation, the type of service, music, readings, and location. Write everything down and share it with your executor and close relatives.
Choose between burial and cremation
Burial requires purchasing a plot and often costs between £3,000 and £7,000 depending on location. Cremation typically costs less and offers more flexibility for memorial services. Direct cremation, where no funeral service takes place at the crematorium, provides the simplest and most affordable option. Your ashes can then be scattered, kept by family, or interred at a later date when loved ones plan a personal memorial.
Direct cremation lets families create meaningful celebrations of life without the time pressure and expense of traditional funerals.
Record your funeral preferences
Write down your specific wishes using a structured template. Include details about the type of ceremony you want, preferred music, readings, and who should speak. Store this document with your will and give copies to your executor.
Funeral Preferences Template:
- Type of service (burial, cremation, direct cremation)
- Religious or secular ceremony
- Preferred funeral director or cremation provider
- Music selections (specific songs or genres)
- Readings or poems
- People to speak or lead the service
- Flowers or charitable donations
- Dress code for attendees
- Memorial gathering location
Keep this end of life planning guide document accessible and review it every few years.
Taking action now
You now have a complete end of life planning guide covering care decisions, legal documents, financial organisation, and funeral preferences. Start with one area that feels most urgent, then work through the others over the coming weeks. Even completing just your advance care plan or financial inventory makes a real difference to your family.
Review your plans every two to three years or after major life changes like marriage, divorce, house moves, or the birth of children. Keep all documents in one secure location and tell your executor exactly where to find them.
If you’re considering direct cremation as part of your funeral planning, Go Direct Cremations offers a simple, dignified service that lets families create their own meaningful memorial at a time that suits them.