What to organise before you die
Check what to think about and organise before you die. You can also create your own plan on the End of Life Service website.
Create a plan
The website for End of Life Service guides you through how to:
- plan and get support
- prepare financially
- organise your affairs
- choose a final resting place
- leave instructions for funeral and memorial services.
You can also log in to create your own plan online.
Disclaimer — find professionals for advice
Retirement, estate planning and wills are often outside of people’s everyday comfort level and experience — but they’re important.
This content:
- helps you take the first steps
- is not legal or financial advice — for that, find either a lawyer, trustee company or financial adviser.
Contacts for legal and financial advice
Lawyers
Trustee companies
Financial advisers
How wills help you and your loved ones
Writing a will helps you plan for both:
- retirement
- what happens after you die — often called ‘estate planning’.
Estate planning
Assets of the estate
An estate is what someone owns, such as clothing, money and a house — you’ll also find them called ‘assets’ or ‘property’.
What’s included in an estate — Community Law
Liabilities of the estate
What someone owes to others is also part of the estate. These are, for example:
- debts, loans or liabilities
- tax.
They need to be paid before assets can be handled as set out in the will.
Paying debts and tax — Community Law
Estate planning — make a will
Your will sets out what you want to happen with your estate and other end-of-life wishes.
This leaves your loved ones with a plan, which is clearer and easier to handle than when there’s no will.
Motivation to plan for retirement
- Taking action with both retirement and your will can be fulfilling — they give you a sense of control over what matters to you in life.
- A well-planned retirement helps you enjoy life with those you love.
- Writing a will can even motivate you to start or improve your retirement planning.
Financial resilience — Te Ara Ahunga Ora | Retirement Commission
Retirement planning
Clarity and peace of mind for your loved ones
Administrative and legal tasks can feel extra stressful without the certainties from a will.
In the worst cases, uncertainties about your end-of-life wishes and estate can harm relationships within your family.
Your will gives those you love clarity while they grieve losing you. Your end-of-life wishes in a will can help a lot during an intense time of mourning.
You’ve made a will — clearer and easier to handle
With a will, the people you’ve named as ‘executors’ apply for ‘probate’ — proving the will is valid and the executor can go forward handling the will and estate.
This is usually more helpful to your loved ones because it’s clearer and simpler for them to act on.
Without a will — more complex and stressful to handle
Without a will, someone close to you applies for ‘letters of administration’ — if granted by the High Court, they can handle the legal and administrative tasks of your estate.
This is usually more stressful for those you love because it’s unclear and more complex to carry out.
You get the end-of-life wishes and legacy you want
State what you want to happen with what you own. There are some legal limits, but a lawyer or trustee company can help with how those apply to your situation.
If you have young children or other dependants, you can make sure there’s someone to take care of them.
Add a statement of wishes — warm tone and helpful information
You can add more personal touches, too. A will has very specific wording for it to be valid and work when you need it to.
But you can, for example, add a ‘statement of wishes’. This allows you to explain your will in a more conversational tone and communicate more information with your loved ones.
Add burial or cremation instructions
A statement of wishes is also a quick way to communicate your burial or cremation wishes.
This allows your loved ones to see your wishes, which might be hidden in your will until finishing the probate application.
Why have a funeral? — Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand
Decision-making for burial or cremation
Check that you understand the decision-making process for burials and cremations.
Burial and cremation — Community Law
Options for burial or cremation
Check this information from the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) or other sources.
- Burial or cremation — Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand
- What are the legal requirements for a burial or cremation? — CAB
- What are some more affordable options for a funeral? — CAB
- How do I obtain a cemetery plot for when I die? — CAB
- Funerals and tangihanga — Community Law
- How do I find out about correct etiquette at a tangi? — CAB
- What are the alternatives to a standard burial? — CAB
Set up a prepaid funeral trust
If your money is likely to be tied up until after probate and other estate tasks, setting up a prepaid funeral trust might be an option.
This is a way of making sure your loved ones can pay for your funeral with less stress.
Organise your digital accounts
A little preparation here, possibly in your statement of wishes, helps your loved ones a lot.
Digital accounts and assets can be frustrating in the best of times. Being organised with these is definitely an act of love for those close to you.
More information: wills and preparing financially
Have a will and prepare financially: financial and legal — Te Hokinga ā Wairua | End of Life Service
What goes into a will
Wills can be simple, complex or somewhere in between — it depends on your assets and wishes.
What should my will cover? — Citizens Advice Bureau
- Choose a person or company to handle your estate — called an ‘executor’Community Law.
- Name who you want to give amounts and types of property to — known as ‘beneficiaries’Community Law.
- Select someone to take care of your children, if you have them — called a ‘guardian’Community Law.
- Make clear your wishes for burial or cremationCommunity Law.
Tool — check what level of detail you might need in your will
Make a will that’s legally valid — it works when you need it to
Working with a trustee company or lawyer helps you and your loved ones. Sorted also lists online options that might work for your situation.
Ways to make a will
You can make a will by using a:
- lawyer
- trustee company
- do-it-yourself (DIY) setup.
How do I make a will? — Citizens Advice Bureau
Trustee companies
DIY options
Using DIY kits can be an option for some people. These are, for example:
- online services
- templates, either online or paper-based
- bought-in-store will kits.
DIY will kits: avoiding the traps and trip-ups — Public Trust
Lawyers and trustee companies make sure your will and end-of-life wishes:
- are fully thought out — helping with options you might not be aware of
- work legally
- lessen the risk of legal challenges to it.
More information — professionals are important for wills
Set up enduring powers of attorney (EPAs)
Have a plan ready in case you become unable to make decisions for yourself. Some health events can cause you to lose mental capacity.
Two types of EPAs
EPAs can help in this situation. You can set up either or both a:
Wills only take effect after death.
EPAs give you and your loved ones another layer of clarity.
Store your will and EPAs in safe places
Your lawyer or trustee company stores a copy of your will or EPAs for you.
If you’ve written your own will, take extra care it’s legally valid. Make sure copies of your will are in safe places and with people you trust.
Tell the right people where to find your will and EPAs
Tell someone you trust which lawyer or trustee company you worked with. This is most likely either:
- your executor
- a family member
- a friend
- some combination of these people.
You can also keep a copy of your will or EPA at home with your other important documents.
Firearm licence holders — leave instructions
For the safe and legal disposal of your firearms, other arms items and ammunition, End of Life Service offers advice on leaving instructions:
- in your will
- with your enduring power of attorney (EPA) for property
- for the activation of the EPA.
Firearm licence holders: financial and legal — Te Hokinga ā Wairua | End of Life Service
More information — disposal of firearms, other arms items and ammunition
Update your will and EPAs
Check how to:
When to update your will and EPAs
Every 5 years is the general rule to review your will and EPAs.
If you find some parts you need or want to change, update your will and EPAs.
- You start a business.
- You get married.
- One of your executors or lawyers dies.
More information — wills and EPAs
Who to contact for more help
If you need more help or have questions about the information or services on this page, contact the following agency.
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Public Trust
Contact and agency details