Many people are confused as to what is involved in a -prearranged- or an advance funeral plan. Moreover, different funeral homes may vary in their views and approaches to the discussion of prearranged funerals. At the Wolniak Funeral Home, our staff discusses advance funeral planning in two parts:

Part One Includes

• Recording biographical information
• Discussing the types and costs of services and merchandise
• Listing relatives and legal representatives
• Documenting all requests and instructions

Part Two Includes

• Determining whether or not the funeral should be funded in advance
• Explaining the contents of the Illinois Consumers Guide to Preneed Funeral and Burial Purchases
• Presenting the funding options available
• Dispersing the documents

It is important to emphasize that funeral plans can be kept on file at the funeral home without paying for them in advance. If you have sufficient assets available, (i.e. personal insurance, trust funds, etc.) and most essentially, good communications between family members, then it may not be necessary to pre-fund your funeral. The non-funded funeral plan then serves as a guideline to the family and/or legal representative at the time of death. However, it would be up to them to determine whether or not to proceed with the requests on file.

There are circumstances when paying for the funeral in advance is definitely the right decision. The following are some examples where funding in advance makes sense:

• If a person is applying for state assistance, as in the case of nursing home care (if properly funded, the State of Illinois allows such prepayment for a long-term care patient)
• If a person does not have any family member able to handle funeral decisions
• If a person does not want to burden a family member with financial decisions
• If a person is concerned with the inflationary rise of costs

Each person's funeral plan should be considered on an individual basis, especially when determining if the funeral will be pre-funded. It is important to plan with a qualified person. The plan should be coordinated and overseen by a certified preplanning consultant or funeral director with preplanning experience. A funeral home must be licensed by the State of Illinois Office of the Comptroller to do advance funeral planning. All legal requirements by the state and federal government should be discussed.

If you have a prearranged funeral, it is important for your family to know. Your plan will be of no assistance to your loved ones or legal representative if they are not aware that you have a plan in place.

We are available to talk with you on the telephone or meet with you, either at our funeral home or in the comfort of your home. We are also available to review existing prearranged funeral plans. For more information, to schedule an appointment, or to inquire about a presentation for your association, 
call us at 773-767-4500.