Do I Need to Hire a Lawyer When Settling an Estate?

After someone dies should the executor hire a lawyer? The simple answer is... maybe... it depends. I'm sure you just love that answer, don't you?! Let me explain. And, I'll begin by saying I'm not a lawyer, but as an Executor's Agent, I run across many instances where lawyers are not necessary, and some instances where they provide good value.

Firstly, is an executor obligated to hire a lawyer? Does the law say an executor must use a lawyer? No, there is no rule that says an executor must hire a lawyer. In a nutshell, settling an estate is an administrative task, so many people can do everything on their own.

Now the grey area. Should an executor hire a lawyer? Although settling an estate is primarily administrative, there can be some legal components to it. Not every estate, but many estates. For instance, does the will have to be probated? If the answer is 'yes' then legal forms will need to be prepared and filed in court (probate registry). This is clearly a legal task, but you can prepare and file these forms by yourself if you wish, and in many estates these forms are really easy to prepare. An inexpensive kit can be purchased at an office supply store containing the forms and instructions, and the obvious good news is that you'd avoid paying a lawyer to prepare these forms. The bad news, however, is that you cannot go to any other professional for assistance in preparing the forms. In British Columbia, notaries are not permitted to prepare these forms, nor are financial advisors, accountants, trustees or other consultants. It's just you or a lawyer. So, back to the big question: Should you hire a lawyer? It depends on the complexity of the estate, your level of confidence and the value of your time. In my experience most executors find the legal forms pretty easy, but it's the list of assets & liabilities that poses a challenge, but the good news is that anyone can help you prepare that list; you don't need a lawyer for that task.

We recently helped an executor with a simple estate who hired a lawyer to prepare the probate documents. For this person, hiring a lawyer was money well-spent. He had no computer, poor health, and most of the language used regarding probate was foreign to him, so his lawyer was able to provide him with some peace of mind.

Is the will complicated and hard to understand? A lawyer can help you understand it, especially if trusts are involved. Has one of the beneficiaries threatened to sue for a bigger portion of the estate? I consider this matter grey, but only you can decide how serious and capable the beneficiary may be.

If you choose to hire a lawyer, be clear on why you're taking this action. What do you want the lawyer to do for you, specifically? If, however, you're hiring a lawyer simply because you need to be educated on the steps involved in settling an estate, I would suggest there's less expensive ways of learning. An executor's agent, for example, can describe the process to you, ensure tasks are completed in a timely manner, prepare you for deadlines and can advise you on when legal advice may be beneficial.

Custom Urns: What Style Is Right for You?

We understand that it's never fun to face your mortality, which is why so many people choose not to pre plan for their own memorial service, but it's one way that you can save your family from a lot of stress after you pass, plus you get to ensure that you have the memorial service that you want. Another item that you can tackle before you pass away is to look into custom urns and have one made specifically for you.

Custom urns are a great way for you to express your individuality even after you pass on. They can be as creative as you want, ranging from concrete designs to abstract ideas. So what style of custom urn is right for you?

Realistic - This is for those of you that are interested in custom urns that are physical representations of an item. It can be something that depicts your favorite hobby or your lifelong career. This can be anything from an antique sewing machine for the seamstress or a high heeled shoe for the woman with discerning tastes.

Abstract - This is an artistic representation of whatever you like. You can ask the custom urns artist to create his or her vision of the physical representation of words that you think describe you best. It takes a lot of communication between you and your artist to get the look just right, but the result can be something truly unique and beautiful that's an artistic representation of your personality.

Bohemian - You're a carefree person and you want your custom urn to show that. This can be represented through color, style or even materials being used. Work with the artist to have them create something that shows your truly energetic and carefree spirit in form. The two materials that are good for this style are glass and ceramics because of the earthy feel of ceramics and the flowing feel of glass.

All Natural - Ceramics are, of course, a great choice for custom urns that you want to have an all-natural feel to them, but you can talk to the artist and make sure that they use products that are environmentally friendly even if you won't be burying the urn. Ask them to use biodegradable chemicals and paints and if you do want a memorial that will biodegrade ask that they use ceramics that are designed to break down properly.

How to Create a Custom Urn

If you decide that you would like to preplan for your funeral and memorial service, one of the aspects you might want to consider is having a custom urn created for your cremains. When you create a custom urn, you get a completely unique urn designed to your specifications that represents you and honors your life in a lasting memorial. But how do you get started making a custom urn? Where should you begin? We've compiled several helpful steps to ensure that the urn creation process goes smoothly for you.

Fill Out a Request for Estimate. First things first, you have to make a connection with a company that can help you create a custom urn. Many sites have a "request an estimate" button on their site. This will get the ball rolling.

Contact an Artist. In fact, this is probably going to happen vice versa and an artist will contact you. Depending on the medium that you want to use and the type of cremation urn you are interested in having made for you, an artist who specializes in that particular medium (be it stone, metal or ceramics) will contact you to get started on designing your urn.

Receive First Draft of Design Concept. Once you and your artist have talked, they will work on a sketch of their interpretation of your ideas for the perfect memorial urn for you. When you get the initial sketch, it might be exactly what you were hoping for, or it might take a little more feedback before it's perfect. When you work with an artist to create a custom urn, you have to be willing to give honest and constructive feedback on the first few iterations of the design.

Send in Revisions. As stated above, when you send in your revisions, make sure to communicate your changes as clearly as possible so that the artist can make the right changes. They understand that having a urn made, whether it's for you or for a loved one, is an emotional subject and will be very understanding, but it's important to be as communicative as you can be.

Sign off on the Final Design. Typically you are allowed three revisions before the final design needs to be made. This is not because the artists are trying to be difficult, but to prevent your urn from being stuck in the planning stages for months. After the third (or first, if you love it right off the bat) revision, you'll sign off on the design and the artist will begin to create a custom urn just for you.

Receive your Custom Urn. Depending on the intricacy of the design and materials used, your custom urn can take some time to arrive, but once it does, you'll be happy that you decided to create a custom urn for your memorial.

Melody Jamali is the Founder and President of ( Une Belle Vie ), a Colorado company dedicated to bringing choice of cremation to public light. Their company offers the widest selection in decorative urns for cremation and includes a wide collection of resources designed to help families and friends in their time of need. From tool for the grieving to informative articles about planning, support and other uplifting thoughts, Une Belle Vie is a company dedicated to helping your celebrate the life of the one you love - on your terms.

How to Select Burial Urns That Are Eco-Friendly

It's becoming more commonplace for people to request cremation as part of their afterlife wishes. While some people may do this for cost reasons, another reason many people choose cremation is because it is a more eco-friendly option than traditional burial. In keeping with their wishes to be kinder to Mother Earth after they die, you may want to consider looking at biodegradable burial urns to contain their cremains.

Unfortunately, one of the problems with burial urns and finding one that is eco-friendly is that there are companies without scruples that would try and sell you an urn that's not 100% green. So what can you do to make sure that the burial urns you're looking at are 100% biodegradable?

Look for thick paper or ceramic urns. Not every material is biodegradable. Materials like glass, metal and stone will not break down over time and are therefore not suitable biodegradable burial urns (they make lovely memorial urns though). In fact, not all ceramic urns are biodegradable. Make sure that the ceramics used to make the burial urns you're looking at is not too thick and has micro perforations. A thinner shell with minute perforations helps the urn to biodegrade much more quickly. There are also urns that are made from a cardboard-like material that are designed to break down quickly in either soil or sea.

Make sure there are no added chemicals. One of the surest ways to discover whether burial urns are biodegradable is to check the contents of the material used to create the urn. If there are complex chemical names listed, then chances are that the urn is not truly biodegradable.

Check to make sure any glaze used is organic. One facet of burial urns that many people forget to check is the glaze used on the urn. Frequently, little thought is put into the paints used on the urn but they can have a negative effect on the land if the glaze used is not organic. Check to make sure the glazes are made using naturally occurring dyes with vegetable or plants bases.

For burial at sea, look for deep water urns. If you decide to bury your loved one's cremains at sea, you must still use biodegradable burial urns in order to ensure it breaks down in the water and doesn't leave any trace after a day or two. These urns can also be called "deep water urns," and they are designed to break down quickly once they hit the water.

Melody Jamali is the Founder and President of, a Colorado company dedicated to bringing choice of cremation to public light. Their company offers the widest selection in decorative urns for cremation and includes a wide collection of resources designed to help families and friends in their time of need. From tool for the grieving to informative articles about planning, support and other uplifting thoughts, Une Belle Vie is a company dedicated to helping your celebrate the life of the one you love - on your terms.

Things To Consider When Purchasing A Cremation Urn

Cremation is quickly becoming the most common choice when it comes to funeral arrangements and this has given rise to a whole new industry selling cremation products. This includes keepsakes, cremation jewelry and commemorative cremation urns in which to store loved ones' ashes. Funeral homes often supply an urn for you but they are generally mass produced and very basic. This often feels wrong for someone's final resting place. However, it is possible to find a range of beautiful urns for sale online which are much more fitting for your needs.

Think About What You Need

Like so many other products, if you turn to the internet you will find endless resources and a long list of retailers offering cremation urns for sale. This can be somewhat overwhelming, so it is a good idea to think about what you are looking for before you start to look online. Think about what you will do with the urn. Is it to be displayed in your home? If so you will want something in keeping with your home's interior décor and something attractive. It may be the case that you want something that is not instantly recognizable as an urn. Alternatively, you might be thinking about urn burial in which case you need to choose biodegradable materials, or you could be looking for a set of smaller urns to distribute to the family. Establishing exactly what your needs re is the first step to refining your search and could save you hours of research.

Choosing The Right Material

You might already have an idea of the type of material you would like for the urn and this is another way to refine your search. The most common type of cremation urn is a ceramic one and these can be purchased in many colors and designs. However, there are also plenty of alternatives including metal, wood, stone and glass. When choosing the material, and of course the color it is usually a good idea to keep the deceased in mind. It seems inappropriate to store their ashes in a green ceramic urn if you know that they really hated that particular color. Also, choosing a particular color can help evoke happy memories.

A cremation urn is something special and it deserves plenty of care and attention when you are choosing one. This is not a decision to be rushed into. Think carefully about what your needs are and about what the departed loved one would have a preference for as their final resting place.

Choosing An Urn For A Loved Ones Ashes

When someone that you have been close to for your entire life passes away it can be devastating. While you are trying to deal with the grief, you may also be tasked with taking care of their funeral arrangements which may be one of the most difficult task we ever have to face. If your loved one has expressed a desire to be cremated, then you will have to decide what to do with the remains. Some families prefer to scatter the ashes in a special location or in a garden of remembrance, but others prefer to buy a keepsake urn to keep them in.

Choices As Unique As The Individual

Everyone has different personalities and different tastes, there is no 'one size fits all'. You would expect to choose clothing and home décor that fits your own style, so why should the final resting place be any different. When choosing an urn for a loved ones ashes, it is essential that you consider what best reflects the person that they were. You will find a huge variety of styles and colors to choose from, not to mention different materials. Think about the person's sense of style. If they were an outdoors type, then you might prefer a beautiful urn carved from wood, but if they were more of a contemporary person then a metallic design might seem more appropriate.

Choosing An Appropriate Size Of Urn

One of the most common questions regarding urns is what size they should be. The standard recommendation is for 1 cubic inch for every 1 pound of body weight. A standard cremation urn is around 200 cubic inches. However, you can purchase larger or smaller ones as required. It is common sense that an adult will need a larger urn than a child or a pet. There may also be situations where several family members would like a portion of the ashes, in which case smaller ' partial' urns are available. These can sometimes be known as keepsake urns. It is also common for couples to wish to be 'buried' together. This also applies in the case of cremation. If this is the case, then you will need a companion urn which is large enough to hold the remains of both people.

Burying Your Urn

There are a growing number of people who have expressed a wish to be cremated, but have indicated that the remains are to be buried. If you wish to bury an urn then it is best to choose one which is not going to affect the environment. There are plenty of biodegradable options available to you if urn burial is something that interests you.

Interesting Facts About Dying

There are many interesting facts out there surrounding the mystery of death, and stories relating to the deaths of famous people although these are not often spoken about as people can find this a distressing subject. However many of these facts are almost unbelievable, and are at the same time very interesting, so below are some of the facts we have found compiled in a list.

    It is a little known fact that one of the biggest killers in the world to date was actually the common flea. These bugs were guilty of transmitting the germs of the Black Death plague from rodents to humans, which resulted in the death of a quarter of Europe's population in the 14th century.

    It is a well known fact that President Andrew Jackson died in 1845, but what isn't so well known is that this President kept a parrot as a pet, and this parrot was ejected from the funeral for swearing.

    Tibetan buddhist's are strong believers in re-incarnation and believe once a person has died the body is of no use anymore. Their ritual is to cut up the body and then beat it to a pulp to be eaten by vultures.

    Thomas Edison (the inventor of the modern light bulb) was good friends with Henry Ford (the founder of the Ford Motor Company). When Edison died it is thought his last breath was caught in a bottle for Ford to keep and treasure.

    There is now a company in the USA which specialises in burying people in Space. Memorial Space Flights will launch a small portion of your loved ones cremated remains into orbit on a shuttle. You can even choose differently priced packages, the cheapest costing $695, for this the shuttle will be launched, enjoy a brief orbit in space and then return to earth. However the most expensive package costs $12,500 and will see your loved one launched into deep space for eternity.

    It has been confirmed that some humans turn into soap after they die. It is more common among people who had large fat deposits prior to their death, and can happen to both embalmed and non-embalmed bodies. it is not known why this happens exactly but there are many theories out there.

    In Victorian times photography was a relatively new concept and as such was extremely expensive meaning many couldn't afford to have pictures taken. However it was common practice to have a photo taken of the corpse when a loved one died, and these photos would often be sent to relatives.