Standing in the library storage room mid-November, surrounded by centuries of records and the scent of damp dust, I realized I hadn't yet recorded the one set of instructions my brother would actually need. As a reference librarian, I spend my days cataloging the past, but since 2023, my nights have been spent trying to map out the future so no one else in my family has to guess what happens when the lights go out.
It has been three years since I walked into my parents’ kitchen on a Sunday morning to find my father had died at the table the night before. He didn't leave a note, a list, or even a hint about what he wanted for a service. We were left scrambling, trying to figure out if he preferred hymns or silence, a casket or a jar. Thinking about how much easier that first week in 2023 would have been if I'd just found a document like this on my father's desk still makes me reach for the antacids. I don't want my brother standing in a funeral home parking lot feeling that same hollow uncertainty.
Beyond the Will: The Final Arrangements Module
Most people buy estate software for the Last Will and Testament, which is fine, but in my experience at the kitchen table, the Will is the slow-moving part of the process. It has to go through the court, it has to be verified, and it usually stays tucked away in a file cabinet while the actual funeral is happening. That is why I specifically looked for the 'Final Arrangements' section in the software. This isn't just a list of preferences; it is a way to create a Funeral Planning Declaration that stands on its own.
In Indiana, this is governed by Indiana Code section 29-1-19, which basically says you can appoint someone to carry out your wishes. If you don't do this, the law has a 'hold queue' of who gets to decide, usually starting with a spouse and then moving to children. By creating this document, you are giving your designated person the 'call number' they need to skip the line and make decisions without a family vote. It is a distinct legal document from a Will, and it needs to be accessible immediately.
Navigating the Software Prompts
One rainy Sunday afternoon, I sat down with my mechanical keyboard—the one with the satisfying, loud switches—and opened the software. Quicken WillMaker Plus usually includes a standard document count of about 35 different legal forms, but I went straight past the Will and the Power of Attorney to the 'Final Arrangements' module. It felt less like legal work and more like a reference interview with my future self.
The software walks you through a series of screens that are surprisingly granular. It asks about the disposition of remains (burial, cremation, or donation), the type of service, and even who you want to be in charge. The specific, rhythmic click of my mechanical keyboard in the quiet house as I typed out my preference for a simple graveside service felt almost meditative. I realized that by answering these questions, I was taking the weight off my brother's shoulders. I wasn't just choosing a casket; I was choosing to save him from an argument with a funeral director about 'what I would have wanted.'
As I clicked through, I noticed the software prompts for details I hadn't considered, like specific music or the disposition of cremated remains. This transformed what I thought was a 'legal chore' into a gift for my family. It allowed me to specify that I don't want a viewing—I've seen enough open caskets in my time, and I’d rather people remember me at the circulation desk than in a satin-lined box.
The Indiana Quirk: The Two-Witness Rule
One thing that tripped me up early on in my DIY journey was how much state law matters for these 'random' forms. While WillMaker's 'Final Arrangements' section is valid in every state except Louisiana, the way you sign it is very specific to where you live. In Indiana, a funeral declaration requires the signatures of at least 2 witnesses. It doesn't strictly require a notary to be valid, though I usually get things notarized anyway just to stop anyone from questioning the signatures later.
Think of it like a witness clause at the library: you need two neighbors who can sign with you over coffee to prove you were of sound mind and not being coerced. I’ve written before about how my Indiana will workflow might fail you if you don't pay attention to these small details, like the fact that Indiana doesn't recognize holographic (handwritten) wills. The same precision applies to your funeral documents. If you don't have those two witnesses, the document might as well be a grocery list.
The Hard Truth: Why Your Will is the Wrong Place for This
Here is the contrarian angle I’ve learned after three years of rebuilding my mother’s filing cabinet: drafting your funeral wishes inside your Will is often counterproductive. Why? Because these documents are frequently located only after the burial has already taken place. I’ve heard horror stories of families finding the Will in a safe deposit box three days after the funeral, only to realize Dad wanted to be cremated and they just spent ten thousand dollars on a burial plot.
I learned this the hard way while doing a filing-cabinet audit of my dad's old papers. I found notes he'd scribbled on the back of envelopes that hinted at what he wanted, but they weren't legal, and they weren't where we could see them when we needed them. This is why I print my funeral planning document separately and keep it in a bright red 'In Case of Death' binder. I tell my brother, 'The Will is for the lawyers; this red binder is for you.'
By keeping the funeral declaration separate, you ensure that the person you've designated as your 'successor' has priority over next-of-kin for funeral decisions. This is vital if you have a specific person in mind who isn't your legal closest relative but knows your heart better than anyone else. It’s about control, and it’s about clarity.
Printing and Organizing the Paperwork
Late February, after a few weeks of sorting through the software's various options, I finally hit the print button. I’ve rage-printed forms before because the margins were off or the software tried to add a decorative border that looked unprofessional, but WillMaker’s output is usually pretty clean. It looks like a 'real' legal document, which carries weight when you’re sitting across from a funeral director who is trying to upsell you on a 'protective seal' for a casket.
I took the printed pages to the kitchen table, called over two neighbors, and we signed them over mugs of lukewarm coffee. It took ten minutes. I then slid the finished document into my binder with the same satisfaction I feel when a chaotic reference collection is finally cataloged and given its proper place on the shelf. It’s about the peace of mind that comes from knowing the 'hold queue' for my final exit is already managed.
I am not a lawyer, a paralegal, or a professional in the legal industry. I am just a librarian who got tired of the high hourly quotes for things you can do at the kitchen table with the right software. If your estate is over $500,000, if you have a blended family with complicated dynamics, or if you have special-needs beneficiaries, please take your drafts to an actual attorney. But for the rest of us, documenting who gets to pick the music at the service shouldn't require a $300-an-hour retainer. You can find more about how I rebuilt my family’s estate plan without a law firm by just taking it one form at a time.
Check with a professional if you’re unsure about your state’s specific signing requirements, especially if you live outside of Indiana. But don't wait. The best time to catalog your wishes was yesterday; the second best time is today, before the library closes and the lights go out for good.