funeral or memorial and the
burial or cremation have taken
place. Imagine the additional
grief caused to loved ones in
discovering, after the fact, that
ceremony offi cials have not
followed your wishes. Further,
directions that are impossible
or illegal are problematic. For
example, it is impossible to
“scatter ashes where th e four
winds meet” since that does
not occur anywhere on Earth.
People wishing to have their
ashes scattered in a location
that is meaningful to them
need to know that a number of
restrictions may apply.
It is necessary to record or
preregister consent to donate
a body to medical science (and
not all are accepted). Similarly,
a registry exists for people to
indicate their desire to make
organ and tissue donations.
All of these topics deserve both
thought and conversations with
loved ones so that they know your
wishes. Families have been torn
apart making these decisions
Estate Planning for Pets
When they start preparing estate documents,
people typically ensure all of their aff airs are
in order and family is cared for. Spouses and
children, brothers and sisters, nieces and
nephews, and dearly beloved friends tend to be
top of mind when considering who to include,
but you shouldn’t overlook your most loyal
companions — your pets.
where either the conversation has
not taken place or is remembered
in very diff erent ways. If you
wish to encourage your parent
or child to share their wishes
with you, consider starting that
conversation by sharing your
wishes with them. ●
Contact the Edmonton Community
Foundation for more information,
or to discuss presentation options
for your group. ecfoundation.org
While we don’t advocate leaving your entire
estate to your furry friends, that doesn’t mean
they shouldn’t be part of your estate plans. This
practice is becoming more prevalent and it might
be something for you to consider.
To ensure there are no disputes, these are just
some of the questions to keep in mind when
thinking of integrating your pets within your
estate documents.
• What options should be considered when
including a pet within your estate plans?
• Who will care for your pet when you no
longer can?
• What provisions should be made to make
sure your pets are well taken care of as they
grow older?
Like everything else you want to accomplish
through well prepared estate plans, approaching
your lawyer about best practices when it comes
to caring for the future well-being of your pets
is highly recommended to ensure your desired
outcome is achieved for everyone involved. ●
news&views AUTUMN 2018 | 49