Before passing away, there are some procedures that can be done to help our loved ones better cope with this difficult time.
Death is a taboo subject in all families. Nobody wants to think that, one day, one of our loved ones will be missing, or, perhaps, ourselves. However, reality hits us every day. We have all lost a very dear person or know someone who has gone through it. It may even be something totally unexpected and unforeseeable.
Thus, we will all have to face the difficult moment of saying goodbye to a family member or a friend. However, there are some things that can be done before death to help those closest to us. And it is that the bureaucracy does not forgive even in bad times.
make a will
It is one of the biggest taboos. Making a will is not pleasant at all, and it is normal that it gives us yuyu just thinking about it. However, it helps a lot to the relatives, as well as to ourselves, because it collects our last wishes. It is very useful for two reasons in particular: the future of children and finances.
Appoint a legal guardian for the children
Thinking about children is one of the reasons why you should make a will before you die. In case something happens to us, and they are still small, a legal guardian must be appointed. The person we choose will be the one in charge of taking care of them and managing the goods we leave them. Multiple guardians can be appointed if you like, and it’s not a mandatory position, so they can turn it down.
Appoint an executor
An executor is a person in charge of managing and inventorying the estate of the deceased. It is also not a mandatory position, so we must be sure that the person we choose agrees. He is a figure that helps speed up the procedures, especially if there are minor heirs. In the event that there is no executor, it is the Administration that is in charge of the distribution and management of the inheritance, which usually delays the deadlines.
What happens if I do not make a will before I die?
Spouses are the most affected if a person does not leave a will. When someone dies without doing this procedure, the Civil Code dictates who are the legal heirs of him. First, children and parents inherit. Later, the spouse, the brothers, and the nephews. And lastly, the rest of the relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity (first cousins, grandnephews, and great-uncles).
In this way, when there is no will, the inheritance is distributed according to that order of priority. If a mother dies, the heirs will be the children. And, if she was married but had no children, her parents would inherit. If there are children or parents, the spouses only inherit the legitime, which is a percentage established by law that does not have to correspond to the will of the deceased. For example, in some cases, it may mean that the spouse does not get the home that he or she shared with the deceased.
If our wish is that our spouse inherits our assets before dying, it is essential to make the will. It is also valid advice if you want to leave something to other more distant relatives or even to companies or foundations.
Making a living will
The living will, advance directive document, or advance directive will is a procedure that can be done before death and collects the last wishes of a person. It does not intervene in financial matters but in relation to your health and what you want to happen if you get sick and can no longer care for yourself. That is, it informs our loved ones of what we want for our last moments, just in case we cannot tell them.
In this way, it is a document that details aspects such as:
- Traditional cremation or burial
- If you want to donate your organs
- Instructions and limits on medical care if you have an irreversible or terminal illness
For this procedure to be valid, it must be done before a notary and with three witnesses, who must not be close relatives (children, parents, uncles, or nephews) or have a financial relationship with the person. Afterward, it is taken to the Registry of Prior Instructions of the corresponding autonomous community.
Have burial insurance that takes care of the funeral
Burial is one of the hardest steps for a family that has just lost a member. It involves paperwork and, above all, many expenses. According to a study by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), a complete burial, without ostentation, costs around 3,500 euros. Think that you have to pay for the coffin, the obituaries, the flowers, the funeral home… In total, this can mean a large outlay for the family, and, perhaps, they will have to go into debt to assume it.
Have life insurance to help your family
Life insurance is a huge support for those who have lost someone. Unfortunately, the bills don’t stop coming when someone dies. For this reason, leaving one of these policies will greatly help our loved ones to face the expenses that will come.
It is estimated that the ideal is to ensure five years of full salary plus other debts that we may have. That is to say: if you earn 20,000 euros a year and you have a mortgage of 100,000 euros to pay, you should at least take out a policy of 200,000 euros. Thanks to that money, your family will be able to maintain their standard of living for another five years, even if you are no longer here.
Keep in mind that the beneficiaries of the life insurance do not have to coincide with the heirs of the will. However, if the beneficiary is not specified in the policy, it will be the legal heirs who receive the compensation, which will be added to the inheritance.
In addition, there are many life insurance credit policies that include burial expenses. That means that not only do they compensate you if you die, but they also give you the money that the funeral costs, up to a maximum amount. In this way, they can replace death insurance and protect you more.
An extra tip: inform your family about life insurance
You can find out if a person had life insurance, even if they didn’t tell you. All policies are registered in the Registry of death coverage insurance contracts, which is public and depends on the Ministry of Justice. If a person dies, information can be requested from the Registry to obtain all the details of the contract, if any. In this way, the agreed compensation is achieved, even if the beneficiary did not know that there was insurance.
Despite this, the most comfortable thing is to notify our beneficiaries and heirs that we have life insurance. In this way, they will be able to obtain compensation beforehand, and we will avoid asking for these papers from the Registry.
Gather important information in one place
Without a doubt, the procedure that will help your family the most if you die. After the death of a person, you have to prepare many documents, request certificates, cancel services… For this reason, it is essential that they have all the important information about you at hand.
- Basic personal data: full name, date of birth…
- ID
- Social Security data
- Vehicle documentation
- Write the properties
- birth certificate
- marriage documentation
- Passwords and social media accounts so they can be deleted
- Bank information, especially if you are the sole owner of any account or financial product
- Information about insurance and the existence of will or living will
Simplify bureaucracy before you die
The paperwork multiplies when a person dies. To help our relatives, it will be very useful to do these procedures before we die. With that alone, we will greatly facilitate the days following our departure.
If you have any questions about life insurance, you will find a lot of information on our blog. In our comparator, you can quickly see the prices and coverage of the main companies. Believe it or not, it is much cheaper than it seems. It’s normal to think about what to do before you die, but you and your loved ones deserve the best protection, no matter what happens.
