“Survey reveals Americans’ increasing openness to new methods of burials,” Tanya D. Marsh, a professor at Wake Forest University explains in an Indianapolis Star piece. Of the six legal methods of disposition of human remains (cremation, casket burial, green burial, donation to science, water cremation and human composting), only the first three are nearly universally available in the U.S.
“Although Americans have, for a long time, largely limited themselves to burial or cremation, the survey revealed remarkable openness to new methods.” Surprisingly, Baby Boomers were the least willing to consider casket burial, while the youngest adults were moving in the opposite direction, ranking casket burial as their first choice, Dr. Marsh reports.
“Death is a topic often avoided in casual conversation, shrouded in cultural taboos and personal discomfort,” Kent Phelps of Trajan Wealth in Arizona admits. But shying away from that topic “can lead to complications, not only emotionally, but also in practical matters such as estate planning.”
At Geyer Law, since we are estate planning attorneys, the topic of death is naturally part of our discussions with clients. We know planning ahead helps all parties, allowing our clients to take control of their own future care and protecting those who may need to speak on their behalf later. An Indiana Funeral Planning Directive, we explain, allows you to choose the specifics of your funeral and burial wishes and appoint a representative to carry out those intentions.
The survey didn’t ask people to explain their reasoning, and intentionally left out costs, Dr. Marsh explains. Still, she notes, the numbers suggest that many Americans are choosing cremation because their actual first choice is unavailable in their state or too expensive.
Here at Geyer Law, we certainly hope Dr. Marsh’s impression of increasing openness about discussing death-related decisions proves correct. We continue to observe that, while there will always be a “deadly side” to estate planning conversations, inter-generational family conferences allow parents to openly share the values and assumptions — along with the issues — that have gone into their estate planning choices.
– by Cara Chittenden, Attorney with Geyer Legal Group
