The Disposition of Remains document allows a client to provide detailed instructions regarding burial, cremation, and other post-death arrangements. It may also designate the person responsible for carrying out those instructions.
A separate Disposition of Remains document is appropriate when the client wants to provide detailed or specific instructions regarding their final arrangements.
Common examples include:
Naming a specific person to control funeral or burial decisions
Providing cemetery or burial location instructions
Directing how ashes should be handled or scattered
Including memorial, religious, or ceremonial preferences
Providing instructions related to military honors or special arrangements
These types of instructions go beyond the short preference language included in the Health Care Power of Attorney.
If the client only wishes to express a general preference (such as burial or cremation), those wishes may instead be included in the Health Care Power of Attorney, and a separate Disposition of Remains document may not be necessary. See this article for more information.
Drafting as Part of a Package or as a Standalone Document
The Disposition of Remains document is commonly drafted as part of a complete estate planning package. However, it may also be prepared as a standalone document.
To draft it separately:
Go to Document Selection.
Select Disposition of Remains.
Leave the other estate planning documents unselected.
As long as the required "people tabs" have been completed (Client Information, Family Information, and any necessary Additional People), the system can generate the Disposition of Remains document without requiring the rest of the estate planning package.
Complete the Disposition of Remains Interview
After selecting Disposition of Remains in the Document Selection tab, the Disposition of Remains interview section will appear in the left-hand navigation menu.
Name the Agent Responsible for Disposition
The first portion of the tab, Disposition of Remains – Name the Agent, allows you to identify the person who will have authority under RCW 68.50.160 to control the disposition of the client’s remains.
Select the number of agent levels and add the appropriate individuals. For guidance on selecting levels of agents and naming co-agents, see the discussion in this article.
The client may name the same person who serves as their Health Care Agent, or they may choose a different individual if they prefer someone else to handle funeral and disposition arrangements. When a Disposition of Remains document is drafted alongside the Health Care Power of Attorney, the HCPOA will reference this document and provide that the Health Care Agent must defer to the agent named in the Disposition of Remains for decisions regarding the handling of the client’s remains.
Provide the Client’s Disposition Preferences
The second portion of the screen, Disposition of Remains – Provide Client Preferences, records the client’s wishes regarding how their remains should be handled.
The available options include:
Traditional burial
Traditional cremation
Nonspecific about the method, but an environmentally focused disposition
Alkaline hydrolysis or aquamation (green cremation)
Natural organic reduction (body composting)
Burial using green burial practices
If the client does not have a specific preference, the document also allows the client to authorize the named Disposition Agent to decide the method of disposition. This option gives the agent flexibility to make arrangements based on circumstances at the time.
Prepaid Funeral or Service Plans
Indicate whether the client has a prepaid funeral or services plan. If a plan exists, the system asks for additoinal detail to allow the named agent to contact and work with the provider to carry out those prearranged services.
Placement of Remains
Next, indicate where the client wishes their remains to be placed. Options include:
A cemetery plot
A family cemetery plot
A national or state veterans’ cemetery
A mausoleum crypt
A columbarium niche
Scattering or placement of ashes or composted remains
A custom entry for specific instructions
If the client prefers flexibility in this section, they may instead allow the Disposition Agent to determine the appropriate placement.
Funeral or Memorial Instructions
You may also record the client’s preferences regarding a funeral or memorial service, including:
A service with military honors (if applicable)
Custom instructions
A prohibition of a funeral or memorial
If the client has no specific wishes, they may leave the decision to the Disposition Agent.