A broad legal document that outlines an individual’s healthcare preferences should they become unable to communicate their wishes. The living will is an example of an advance directive. Other terms:Advance Decision (UK)
Glossary
Glossary
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A
A specific type of advance directive detailing the types of medical treatments and life-sustaining measures a person wants or does not want.
An anatomical gift is the donation of organs, tissues, or the body for medical or scientific purposes.
B
Your Bank details refer to the information required to identify, access, and manage your financial accounts.
An individual or entity designated to receive assets or benefits from wills, trusts, insurance policies, or retirement accounts.
Time off from work granted to an employee after the death of a family member or close loved one.
A birth certificate is an official record of a person’s birth, confirming identity, date of birth, and parentage.
A specific area of land in a cemetery where a person is laid to rest.
C
A container used to hold the body of the deceased for burial or cremation.
A more uplifting event or service that focuses on remembering a loved one’s life achievements and personal stories.
A charitable bequest is a provision in a will or trust that directs assets to be given to a charity.
A structure with niches designed to store urns holding cremated remains.
A committal service is a brief ceremony held at the burial site or place of interment following a funeral or memorial.
Compassionate care is an approach to care that focuses on comfort, emotional support, and empathy during serious illness or end-of-life situations.
Expressions of sympathy offered to someone who has experienced the loss of a loved one.
The process of reducing a body to ashes through intense heat, often chosen as an alternative to traditional burial.
D
An official document issued by a government authority stating the date, location, and cause of a person’s death.
Digital asset inventory is a structured list of your online accounts, digital assets, and access information.
Online or electronic assets such as social media accounts, emails, domain names, and digital currencies.
The total sum of a person’s digital assets and online presence that may need management or transfer after death.
A digital legacy is the online presence, data, and digital assets a person leaves behind after death.
A disinheritance is the intentional exclusion of someone from receiving assets under a will.
Disposal of remains refers to the methods used to handle a body after death, such as burial or cremation.
A DNI order is a medical directive that instructs healthcare providers not to perform intubation or mechanical ventilation.
A DNR order is a medical directive that instructs healthcare providers not to perform CPR if breathing or heartbeat stops.
E
Embalming is a process that uses chemicals to preserve a body and delay decomposition for viewing or funeral services.
The process of managing and distributing a deceased person’s assets, settling debts, and filing necessary tax returns.
An estate bond is a type of insurance that protects beneficiaries from misconduct or errors by an executor.
An estate freeze is a strategy used to limit or defer taxes on the future growth of assets passed to beneficiaries.
Estate planning is the process of organizing how your assets are managed and distributed during life and after death.
A statement of wishes is a non-binding document that provides guidance alongside a will on how assets or personal matters should be handled.
A tax on the transfer of assets from a deceased person’s estate to their beneficiaries.
An ethical will is a personal document that shares your values, life lessons, and beliefs with future generations.
A eulogy is a speech delivered at a funeral or memorial service to honor and remember a person’s life. It is typically personal, reflective, and focused on memories and character.
The person named in a will who carries out the directives of the will, ensuring debts are paid and assets are distributed properly.
F
A financial power of attorney is a legal document that authorizes someone to manage financial transactions and assets on your behalf.
A funeral celebrant is a non-denominational officiant who conducts personalized funeral or memorial ceremonies.
A funeral director’s statement is a document detailing funeral services and expenses, often required for insurance or legal purposes.
A type of insurance policy designed to cover funeral and burial costs.
A funeral Mass is a religious service, typically in the Catholic tradition, held to honor and pray for the deceased.
A funeral rite is a ceremonial act or set of rituals performed to honor and remember the deceased.
Funeral wishes are written instructions that outline how you want your funeral or memorial to be arranged.
G
A graveside service is a funeral or memorial ceremony held at the burial site, often including final prayers or eulogies.
An eco-friendly approach to burial that avoids embalming chemicals and sometimes uses biodegradable caskets or shrouds.
Professional support designed to help individuals cope with and process feelings of loss and bereavement.
Grief therapy is specialized counseling that helps individuals cope with loss and navigate the emotional impact of bereavement.
A guardian is a person legally appointed to care for a minor or someone who cannot manage their own affairs.
A guardian ad litem is a court-appointed individual who represents the best interests of a minor or incapacitated person.
A guardian of a minor is a legally appointed adult responsible for the care and upbringing of a child.
H
A marker typically placed at the head of a grave, engraved with details such as name, birth date, and death date.
A health care agent is a person authorized to make medical decisions on behalf of someone else.
A health care directive is a legal document that outlines your medical care preferences if you are unable to make decisions yourself.
A healthcare agent is an individual designated to make medical decisions on behalf of someone else.
A healthcare power of attorney is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone to make medical decisions on your behalf.
A person named to make medical decisions on someone else’s behalf if the person is unable to communicate.
Similar to a healthcare proxy, this individual is legally designated to make healthcare decisions for an incapacitated patient.
A program or facility providing specialized care for terminally ill patients, focusing on comfort rather than curative treatments.
I
A tax that some states impose on individuals who inherit assets from a deceased person.
An Insurance policy is a contract that provides financial protection against risks such as death, illness, or damage.
The act of placing a body or ashes into the final resting place, whether a grave, niche, or mausoleum.
Dying without having made a valid will, which results in the state determining how assets are distributed.
The specific act of placing cremated remains into an urn or a niche.
An irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) is a trust that holds life insurance policies to keep proceeds outside the taxable estate.
A trust that generally cannot be changed or revoked once it is established, offering potential tax or asset protection benefits.
L
A legal document describing how a person’s assets and estate should be distributed after death. Also called Testament.
A legacy letter is a personal message written to loved ones to share values, memories, and guidance.
A legacy management approach ensures that personal, financial, and digital legacies are organized and passed on effectively.
An insurance policy paying a lump sum to beneficiaries upon the policyholder’s death.
A trust set up during a person’s lifetime to manage assets and potentially avoid probate.
A living will is a legal document that states your medical treatment preferences if you can no longer communicate your decisions. It provides guidance on medical treatments in end-of-life situations, typically focusing on life support and other interventions. It ensures that doctors and caregivers follow your wishes in situations such as severe illness, coma, or […]
M
An above-ground structure or building within a cemetery that holds the remains of one or more individuals.
A memorial donation is a charitable contribution made in the name of someone who has died, often in lieu of flowers.
A memorial fund is a fund created in honor of someone who has died, often supporting a cause they cared about.
A ceremony held in honor of a deceased person, which may take place with or without the remains present.
A mortician, also known as a funeral director, is a professional who prepares the deceased and arranges funeral services.
N
A next of kin is the closest living relative to a person, often recognized for legal, medical, or administrative purposes.
A next-of-kin affidavit is a legal statement that confirms a person’s status as the closest living relative of the deceased.
Non-probate assets are assets that pass directly to beneficiaries without going through the probate process.
O
An obituary is a written notice of a person’s death, typically published to inform others and honor their life. This published notice informs of a person’s death, often including a brief biography and details about funeral or memorial services. Check out our guide to writing a beautiful obituary!
Obsequies are formal funeral ceremonies or rites performed to honor and remember the deceased.
Organ donation is the act of giving organs or tissues after death for transplantation or medical research.
P
Medical care that focuses on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life for patients with serious illnesses.
A passport is an official government-issued document that verifies your identity and citizenship for travel and identification.
Paying respects is the act of honoring the deceased’s memory through a visit, ceremony, or expressions of sympathy.
A POLST is a medical order that specifies which life-sustaining treatments a patient wants or does not want.
A legal authorization allowing one person (the agent) to act on another person’s (the principal’s) behalf in financial or legal matters.
Pre-need planning is the process of arranging funeral or burial details in advance before death occurs.
An arrangement allowing individuals to pay in advance for funeral services and products, locking in current prices.
The legal process of validating a will, settling debts, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.
A probate court is a judicial authority that oversees the validation of wills and the distribution of a deceased person’s estate.
A Property power of attorney authorizes someone to manage your financial and legal affairs if you cannot do so yourself.
R
A remainderman is a beneficiary who receives trust assets after prior beneficiaries’ interests have ended.
Repatriation of remains is the process of transporting a deceased person’s body or ashes back to their home country.
A residuary estate is the portion of an estate that remains after debts, taxes, and specific gifts have been distributed.
A trust that can be altered or dissolved by the creator (grantor) at any time during their lifetime.
S
A settlor, also called a grantor, is the person who creates and funds a trust by transferring assets into it.
A statement of wishes is a non-binding document that provides guidance alongside a will on how assets or personal matters should be handled.
The Sterbevierteljahr is a three-month transition period in Germany during which a surviving spouse continues to receive the full pension of the deceased.
The legal husband, wife, or partner of someone who has died, often with special inheritance or property rights.
Survivorship is the legal right of a co-owner to automatically inherit property when the other owner dies.
T
An illness deemed incurable and expected to result in a person’s death within a certain period.
A last will is a legal document that determines how your assets are distributed after your death. This is a legal document describing how a person’s assets and estate should be distributed after death. Also called Last Will. It allows you to name beneficiaries, appoint an executor, and specify guardians for minor children. Without a […]
A trust created through the provisions of a will and activated upon the death of the person who wrote the will.
A legal arrangement where one party (the trustee) holds and manages assets for the benefit of another (the beneficiary).
A trustee is a person or institution responsible for managing trust assets on behalf of beneficiaries.
U
A container designed to hold cremated remains (ashes) of the deceased.
V
A viewing, also called a wake, is a gathering where family and friends can pay their respects and see the deceased.
A gathering held in the presence of a deceased individual’s body or close to the time of death, often including prayers or reflections.
A virtual memorial is an online space where people can share memories, photos, and messages to honor the deceased.
W
A will contest is a legal challenge to the validity of a will by someone who disputes its terms.
A will registry is a secure database that records where a person’s will is stored so it can be found after death.