Glossary

Funeral

Advance Directive

A broad legal document that outlines an individual’s healthcare preferences should they become unable to communicate their wishes. The living will is an example of an advance directive.

Advance Healthcare Directive

A specific type of advance directive detailing the types of medical treatments and life-sustaining measures a person wants or does not want.

Last Will

A legal document describing how a person’s assets and estate should be distributed after death. Also called Testament.

Testament

A legal document describing how a person’s assets and estate should be distributed after death. Also called Last Will.

Living Will

A document that provides guidance on medical treatments in end-of-life situations, typically focusing on life support and other interventions.

Power of Attorney (POA)

A legal authorization allowing one person (the agent) to act on another person’s (the principal’s) behalf in financial or legal matters.

Healthcare Proxy

A person named to make medical decisions on someone else’s behalf if the person is unable to communicate.

Healthcare Surrogate

Similar to a healthcare proxy, this individual is legally designated to make healthcare decisions for an incapacitated patient.

Executor

The person named in a will who carries out the directives of the will, ensuring debts are paid and assets are distributed properly.

Estate Administration

The process of managing and distributing a deceased person’s assets, settling debts, and filing necessary tax returns.

Beneficiary

An individual or entity designated to receive assets or benefits from wills, trusts, insurance policies, or retirement accounts.

Trust

A legal arrangement where one party (the trustee) holds and manages assets for the benefit of another (the beneficiary).

Revocable Trust

A trust that can be altered or dissolved by the creator (grantor) at any time during their lifetime.

Irrevocable Trust

A trust that generally cannot be changed or revoked once it is established, offering potential tax or asset protection benefits.

Testamentary Trust

A trust created through the provisions of a will and activated upon the death of the person who wrote the will.

Living Trust

A trust set up during a person’s lifetime to manage assets and potentially avoid probate.

Probate

The legal process of validating a will, settling debts, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.

Intestate

Dying without having made a valid will, which results in the state determining how assets are distributed.

Estate Tax

A tax on the transfer of assets from a deceased person’s estate to their beneficiaries.

Inheritance Tax

A tax that some states impose on individuals who inherit assets from a deceased person.

Digital Assets

Online or electronic assets such as social media accounts, emails, domain names, and digital currencies.

Digital Estate

The total sum of a person’s digital assets and online presence that may need management or transfer after death.

Funeral Insurance

A type of insurance policy designed to cover funeral and burial costs.

Life Insurance

An insurance policy paying a lump sum to beneficiaries upon the policyholder’s death.

Prepaid Funeral Plan

An arrangement allowing individuals to pay in advance for funeral services and products, locking in current prices.

Burial Plot

A specific area of land in a cemetery where a person is laid to rest.

Headstone

A marker typically placed at the head of a grave, engraved with details such as name, birth date, and death date.

Casket

A container used to hold the body of the deceased for burial or cremation.

Cremation

The process of reducing a body to ashes through intense heat, often chosen as an alternative to traditional burial.

Urn

A container designed to hold cremated remains (ashes) of the deceased.

Mausoleum

An above-ground structure or building within a cemetery that holds the remains of one or more individuals.

Columbarium

A structure with niches designed to store urns holding cremated remains.

Interment

The act of placing a body or ashes into the final resting place, whether a grave, niche, or mausoleum.

Inurnment

The specific act of placing cremated remains into an urn or a niche.

Green Burial

An eco-friendly approach to burial that avoids embalming chemicals and sometimes uses biodegradable caskets or shrouds.

Memorial Service

A ceremony held in honor of a deceased person, which may take place with or without the remains present.

Celebration of Life

A more uplifting event or service that focuses on remembering a loved one’s life achievements and personal stories.

Vigil

A gathering held in the presence of a deceased individual’s body or close to the time of death, often including prayers or reflections.

Eulogy

A speech or written tribute delivered at a funeral or memorial service, celebrating the life of the deceased.

Obituary

A published notice of a person’s death, often including a brief biography and details about funeral or memorial services.

Condolences

Expressions of sympathy offered to someone who has experienced the loss of a loved one.

Grief Counseling

Professional support designed to help individuals cope with and process feelings of loss and bereavement.

Bereavement Leave

Time off from work granted to an employee after the death of a family member or close loved one.

Hospice Care

A program or facility providing specialized care for terminally ill patients, focusing on comfort rather than curative treatments.

Palliative Care

Medical care that focuses on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life for patients with serious illnesses.

Terminal Illness

An illness deemed incurable and expected to result in a person’s death within a certain period.

Death Certificate

An official document issued by a government authority stating the date, location, and cause of a person’s death.

Surviving Spouse

The legal husband, wife, or partner of someone who has died, often with special inheritance or property rights.

Next of Kin

The closest living relative(s) to a deceased individual, often with certain legal rights and responsibilities.

Guardian

A person legally appointed to care for a minor child or adult who cannot manage their own affairs.

Healthcare Agent

An individual designated in legal documents to make medical decisions on behalf of another person.

Medical Power of Attorney

A legal form giving someone the authority to make healthcare decisions for another if they become incapacitated. Also called Power of Attorney

Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

Medical orders that specify the types of life-sustaining treatments a seriously ill patient wants or does not want.

Organ Donation

The act of giving one’s organs or tissues after death for transplant or medical research.

Anatomical Gift

A broader term encompassing organ, tissue, or body donation for medical purposes or scientific research.

Disinheritance

The intentional act of excluding someone (usually a potential heir) from receiving assets in a will.

Residuary Estate

The portion of an estate remaining after all debts, expenses, taxes, and specific bequests have been fulfilled.

Will Contest

A legal challenge to the validity of a will, typically raised by parties who feel they were unfairly treated.

Estate Freeze

A strategy used to minimize or defer taxes on the future growth of assets intended for beneficiaries.

Trustee

The person or institution responsible for managing the assets held in a trust on behalf of the beneficiaries.

Settlor (Grantor)

The individual who creates and funds a trust, transferring assets into it.

Remainderman

The beneficiary entitled to receive trust assets after the interests of any prior beneficiaries end.

Non-Probate Assets

Assets that pass directly to a beneficiary outside of the probate process (e.g., life insurance, certain retirement accounts).

Charitable Bequest

A provision in a will or trust designating that certain assets be given to a charity.

Survivorship

The right of a surviving co-owner of property to automatically inherit the entire property upon the other owner’s death.

Funeral Mass

A religious service held in some faith traditions to honor and pray for the deceased, often including Holy Communion.

Obsequies

Formal or ritualized funeral ceremonies or rites.

Mortician (Funeral Director)

A professional who prepares the deceased for burial or cremation and arranges funerals or memorial services.

Embalming

A process that uses chemicals to preserve the body and delay decomposition for viewing and funeral services.

Viewing (Wake)

A time set aside for family and friends to pay their respects and often see the deceased in an open casket.

Committal Service

A brief ceremony held at the graveside or place of interment following a funeral or memorial.

Estate Sale

An organized sale of possessions from someone’s estate, typically after they move or pass away.

Guardian ad Litem

A court-appointed individual who represents the best interests of minors or incapacitated adults during legal proceedings.

Statement of Wishes

Informal guidance expressing how someone wants their personal effects handled or distributed, without strict legal enforceability.

Ethical Will

A document that conveys personal values, life lessons, and hopes for future generations, rather than distributing assets.

Legacy Letter

A personal letter written to loved ones to pass on wisdom, life stories, and emotional support. In your Meolea dashboard, you find these under “goodbye letters“.

Estate Planning

The process of arranging for the management and disposal of one’s estate during life and after death.

Legacy Management

The systematic approach to ensuring personal, financial, and digital legacies are preserved and passed on.

Pre-Need Planning

The practice of making funeral or burial arrangements in advance, including selection of services, casket, or plot.

Grief Therapy

Specialized counseling or therapeutic approaches focused on helping individuals navigate the emotional aftermath of loss.

Health Care Agent

Another term for a healthcare proxy or surrogate—someone authorized to make medical decisions on behalf of another.

Digital Legacy

The online presence, data, and digital property one leaves behind for others to manage or inherit.

Funeral Celebrant

A non-denominational officiant who designs and conducts personalized funeral or memorial ceremonies.

Memorial Donation

A charitable contribution made in the name of someone who has died, often requested in lieu of flowers.

Virtual Memorial

An online tribute or space where friends and family can share memories, photos, and messages about the deceased.

Next-of-Kin Affidavit

A legal statement verifying someone’s status as the closest living relative to a decedent, usually needed for certain estate tasks.

Guardian of Minor

A legally appointed adult responsible for the care and upbringing of a child who has lost one or both parents.

Funeral Director’s Statement

A document often needed for insurance or legal purposes, detailing funeral expenses and services performed.

Memorial Fund

A fund set up in honor of someone who has died, often to support a cause they cared about.

Probate Court

The judicial authority that oversees the probate process, ensuring wills are valid and estates are distributed properly.

Estate Bond

A type of insurance or surety bond required in some jurisdictions to protect beneficiaries from any misconduct by an executor.

Disposal of Remains

The chosen method for dealing with a body after death, including burial, cremation, or other means.

Paying Respects

The act of honoring the deceased’s memory through a visit, a service, or by sharing sympathies with loved ones.

Graveside Service

A funeral or memorial ceremony conducted at the site of interment, often with final prayers or eulogies.

Repatriation of Remains

The process of transporting a person’s body or ashes back to their home country after death occurs abroad.

Health Care Directive

A broader term encompassing documents like living wills and healthcare proxies, laying out medical care instructions.

Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT)

A trust holding life insurance policies, designed to remove the proceeds from the taxable estate of the insured.

Funeral Rite

A ceremonial act or set of rituals performed in various cultures or religions to honor and remember the deceased.

Compassionate Care

Care focused on emotional support, comfort, and empathy for patients facing serious illness or end-of-life situations.

Financial Power of Attorney

A specific POA document granting authority to handle financial transactions and manage assets on behalf of someone else.

Will Registry

A secure database where individuals can store information about where their will (or other important documents) is located, ensuring it can be easily found after death.