Setting Up Your Life
(The legal stuff)
Please note I am in noway a legal professional in these fields but I am using my own information and personal experience.
Life Insurance
I remember so early on in our life, wed purchased a block of land in a small country town called Winchelsea about 20 minutes from Geelong. Started building a house and then fell pregnant with our first child. Our Mortage broker suggested we talk to an insurance broker and sort out that side of life. I was so against it, I can remember saying to Cookie omg we do not need to do this stuff we are so young as if anything will happen to us!! I mean don’t we all say this?
At this point in time we met with an insurance broker and we had put down all our debts/mortage/things we needed to cover if the worst was to happen. If you search Local Life Insurance Broker in your web browser it should bring up all the brokers close to you. They will then take everything in your life into consideration, dependants, funeral costs (OVERESTIMATE this), if you wanted any funds for kids schooling ect ect….
We hadn’t sat down and reviewed ours until about 2 years before Cookie got sick. By then our situation had changed a lot. Adding two more children to our family. Selling our first home and buying our little renovation home project. So with that all taken into consideration I can remember the figure our broker came back to us with and it just wasn’t something we could afford on one income, they will try their hardest to get you the best deal with whatever your personal life circumstances can afford. But I can not stress how important this is. Especially if you have a Mortage, kids, debt.. it was always just peace of mind that if the worst was to happen, whoever was to raise the kids and pay the way through life for the rest of our time that it was a financially ok situation. Thats something you’d also want for your loved one.
Pick up your phone and find an insurance broker local to you now.
BOOK that appointment.
Will & Power of Attorney
This had been on Cookies very organised phone list for years and due to the cost we kept putting it off. You can get will kits from speciality stores in your local area or order them online. We chose to use a local Lawyer Firm. Found this way super organised, everything for us was then above board and legal (nothing was missed)
A basic checklist was mainly outlining
Your personal information
Exectuors
Funeral Arrangements
Your Estate
Your beneficiaries
Legal guardians for the Children
All this stuff was over my head but it quickly became my life, becoming Cookies Medical Power of Atternory and making the decisions no one should have to make for their husband this early in life. And then when the worst did happen fulfilling his Funeral wishes.
Things to talk about to your loved one and include in your Funeral Arrangements
Burial or Cremation
Indoor or Outdoor Service (location)
Plot and Cemetery arrangements
Viewing or no viewing
Who will be your coffin bearers
Songs/Music
Anything including sporting clubs, rituals anything you’d like in your send off.
Yes its so uncomfortable talking about the unthinkable but I am so so glad that Cookie and I spoke about most things like this in life. openly.
I also want you to go organise this ASAP
Book an appointment at your local Lawyer Firm or get a will kit.
Memories and Keepsakes
https://www.thecookieclan.com/collections/the-keepsake-cause
This is what brings me to The Keepsake Cause. This has been MONTHS in the making.
Bringing in home everlasting Keepsakes to you, in the comfort of your own space, home or palliative care.
Created in loving memory of my late husband and daddy to our 3 beautiful kids.
Peter 'Cookie' Cook
25/3/1991 - 6/11/2020
#forever29
We did
Inkless Print Kits
Heart Recording Boxes (these can be done before or after your loved one passes… just record on your phone and keep as a back up)
Linden Cook Impression Jewellery
Wish You Were Here Dolls
Keeping the flowers from Cookies Funeral and drying them out to place in Perplex Frames.
We had some amazing people do a name a star for us
A beautiful cousin of mine organised a plaque for our Garden with a Captain Cook Plant to go with it.
Other things we would of loved to do but unfortunately time wasn’t on our side
Milestone videos recordings of Cookie talking for the kids
Birthday cards until they were 18
Wedding day letter or card
Saving a lock of his hair
Recording Cookies voice reading a book to the kids
Hand Casting Kit
Things we will do in the future
Jewellery with Cookies Ashes
There’s so many I’m sure but these where the main ones we talked about
I’m always open to talk to you about this more, feel free to message me at any time. These things are so important to me and I will always be passionate and a huge advocate for these subject.
www.Instagram.com/thekeepsakecause
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