Funeral Director Mike Hall speaks from experience that a sad time only makes a hard decision harder. Hall owns Hall's Funeral Home and Cremations Services in Boothbay and Waldoboro. He has over 30 years' experience in the industry.

"I can't eliminate the sadness, but I can reduce the anxiety," Hall said June 12 during the first of four quarterly sessions of the "Lunch and Learn" discussion series co-hosted by local attorney Jeff LaCourse on funeral and estate planning.

"Death isn't the time to make post-life decisions like a funeral. It is easier to have all those things settled without having to deal with it during a difficult time," Hall said. 

Session 1 of "Lunch and Learn" had 14 people attend to learn more about funeral and estate planning. LaCourse said the two topics go together because people don't like to talk about either. The two speakers emphasized how proper planning would likely result in a better decision for the entire family. "Come on in and talk. It’s good information to have, and it costs nothing to listen," Hall said.

While a person may not want a funeral or some kind of remembrance service, Hall believes a service will benefit survivors. "You really should have some sort of service. It gives a chance for friends and family to say good-bye, and allows the healing the start," Hall said.

He added, the service doesn't have to be elaborate. "I can be something as simple as visiting hours. A time for people to gather and share their loss."

When Hall began in the industry, burials outnumbered cremation 70/30, but things have changed. Cremation is now favored by the same 70/30 margin, according to Hall. There is another option called a "green burial," an  environmentally conscious approach that prioritizes placing the body directly in the earth, forgoing embalming, and using biodegradable materials. 

Also in the session,Hall advised creating a "final file" that includes passwords and codes for important accounts and documents. "You don't want your loved ones searching through all the stuff accumulated over 70 years. You want to know where it is."

Hall recounted a situation with his father's VA insurance policy. "Nobody knew he had it for two years following his death," he said.

Hall said an estate should have an executor. He recalled a customer who left his car dealership to two of his sons and wanted to provide a cash equivalent for the other siblings. "He only told the two sons so when he died it caused problems with the other siblings who knew nothing about it," he said.

Hall learned from the experience, and used it with his own father, who asked him to be his executor. 

Hall agreed to serve as executor under one condition. He told his father, "You tell all of us your plans together." He did, and it worked out well for the whole family, Hall said. 

Hall also advised the audience about current funeral costs.  He told them a casket and burial run around $7,000 and $3,000 for cremation. 

Hall offers payment options. Customers can pre-pay or partially pay for either a funeral or cremation.

As cremation has become more popular, Hall has run into surprises. One customer wanted half his ashes spread over Squirrel Island and the other half at the Mississippi River. The problem occurred when the customer's granddaughter asked her parents where she should lay her flowers. "I now recommend saving a small portion of ashes and burying them at a location for these types of situations," Hall said. 

LaCourse began discussing estate planning from an attorney's perspective. LaCourse said to plan for deaths or medical situations. He called a will "an instruction manual at the time of death."

Lacourse agreed with Hall about the importance of an executor. LaCourse said a will names an executor or personal representative. In most cases, a man would leave his estate to his wife. If his wife dies first, he may add a clause stating his child would be his heir.

If the couple has minor children, the will calls for creating a trust and naming a legal guardian. “You are not going to leave a great deal of money to a 16-year-old. So, you create a legal document who appoints someone to make legal decisions on the child’s behalf until they reach 18," he said. 

He also believed a power of attorney was important to deal with potential medical or financial emergencies. LaCourse also recommended a Personal Property Memorandum, which is in addition to the will. The deceased may want to leave a separate piece of the estate to one specific person. LaCourse said one man left his son-in-law a prized pistol used to shoot red squirrels.

LaCourse also believed the topics of funerals and estate planning had a lot in common.

"This really should be called 'peace of mind,'" he said. "These are issues nobody wants to talk about until it becomes very serious and you're not ready," he said.