You can include your burial wishes in your will to make your preferences known. This helps guide your executor and loved ones when making funeral or memorial arrangements.
Legal status of burial and funeral wishes
Burial or funeral wishes expressed in a will are not legally binding. However, including them in your will is still a helpful way to communicate your preferences. Your executor should do their best to honour them.
Because a will might not be read until after funeral arrangements are made, it’s a good idea to also share your burial wishes in another accessible place, or discuss them with your executor and family. Some people choose to write a separate note for all non-legal personal wishes such as how you'd like to be celebrated or remembered.
While not legally enforceable, writing your burial wishes in your will can:
Provide clarity to your executor and family
Help avoid confusion or disagreements
Ensure your personal preferences are respected
Consequences of omitting burial wishes
If you don’t include burial wishes in your will, your executor (or next of kin) will be responsible for making funeral arrangements based on what they believe you would have wanted.
Here’s how that responsibility is typically assigned:
Executor named in the will: Handles funeral and burial decisions.
No executor or will: The deceased’s spouse typically takes on this role.
No spouse or no one willing: Decisions fall to the next eligible person, according to provincial laws.