Peer Tree Partners is dedicated to providing you with a supportive space and trusted guidance as you make deeply personal decisions about your care and legacy.is here to support you as you decide what is best for you and your family.

An End-of-Life Plan outlines your wishes for your remains and any memorial services and a Last Will describes how your assets will be distributed. While you do not need a Last Will in order to create an End-of-Life Plan, both documents are part of a well-rounded estate plan.

What is an End-of-Life Plan?

An End-of-Life Plan is an estate planning document outlining your final memorial and burial wishes. This can include details like whether you want a formal service and how you want your remains handled.

An End-of-Life Plan is also known as a:

• Funeral planning document

• Final wishes document

• Last wishes document

• Burial instructions

Think of an End-of-Life Plan like a checklist or guide detailing how you want your friends and family to celebrate your life. Outlining your wishes helps your family because they won’t have to guess about what you want and make tough decisions while they grieve.

An End-of-Life Plan is only one of the essential estate planning documents that every adult should make. To help prepare your loved ones for the future, having these documents ready will further help them should anything happen to you:

• Last Will and Testament

• Just In Case Instructions

• Personal Care Profile

• Power of Attorney

• Living Will

These documents will give your family peace of mind, knowing they can follow through with all your final wishes regarding financial responsibilities, medical care, and more.

Why is having an End-of-Life Plan important?

To ensure your wishes are clearly expressed and fully upheld, our local attorneys are available to assist you with these tasks.

SKH Family Law & Estate 552 Commercial St, Astoria OR 97103

Kelly M Stearns, Attorney at Law 1139 Exchange St, Astoria OR 97103

Coastal Land Law, LLC 675 Marlin Ave Ste 2, Warrenton OR 97146

Campbell & Popkin, LLC 1580 N Roosevelt Dr, Seaside OR 97138

‍Zuplaw Law Firm LLC ‍‍ 615 Broadway St #216, Seaside OR 97138

Seaside Attorneys 842 Broadway St, Seaside OR 97138 ‍

Law Office Michael A. Autio LLC 2740, 339 31st St Ste C, Astoria OR 97103

1. Appointee
An appointee is the person, or people, you choose to carry out your wishes to the best of their ability. An appointee can be a spouse or other reliable adult. Also, if you have an existing Will, your executor may also act as your appointee.

2. Announcement of your passing
This step details how you would like your appointee to inform people of your passing. Options can include a small, informal notice or an obituary.

3. Organ donations
Many people wish to help others after their passing through organ donation. In your End-of-Life Plan, state if you’re an organ donor to ensure your appointee and loved ones are aware of your wishes and reduce delays in medical personnel removing any donated organs.

If you’re not already an organ donor but wish to be one, you can register online through your state's donation page.

4. Your remains
Once you’ve passed, your family needs to know how you wish your remains to be handled or prepared for burial. This can include being:

• Buried in a cemetery or private plot

• Entombed in a mausoleum

• Donated to medical science or education

Cremated and having your ashes buried, entombed, given to a loved one, or spread at a specific location

5. Funeral wishes
Creating your End-of-Life Plan includes providing your family with your wishes for your funeral. Types of arrangements include:

• Funeral

• Graveside service

• Memorial service

• Visitation or viewing

While outlining your funeral wishes, include any specific religious or spiritual traditions you may want your family to conduct.

6. Financial planning
To help your family follow through with your requests, you can include details on the funding for your final wishes, such as burial and funeral services. In your plan, you can indicate if you have put aside savings specifically for these plans or if your estate will reimburse any costs.

7. Final thoughts and messages
To finish up your End-of-Life Plan, you can leave any final thoughts or messages for your loved ones. Write them in your End-of-Life Plan for them to read upon your passing.

8. Any other final instructions
Our questionnaire allows you to highlight any further instructions you wish your loved ones to have that may be more specific. For example, if you want a memorial or funeral service, you may decide to have family and friends donate to a charity of your choice rather than send flowers for the service.

Your End-of-Life Plan Should Include

What an 11th-Hour Death Doula Does

We are here for you, exactly where you are. Whether you are at home, in the hospital, or at a hospice facility, our care wraps around you and your family. We work hand-in-hand with your hospice and medical teams to ensure you are never left without guidance. When the health system feels stretched or unavailable, we step in to provide a steady, comforting presence.

We don't replace your medical care. Instead, we walk beside you to handle the emotional weight, the practical needs, and the logistics of this sacred time. Our sole purpose is to fill the gaps that busy medical teams often cannot—giving you the time, deep presence, and unbroken support you truly deserve.

• Active Vigil Support: Sits bedside during the final transition, holding space and maintaining a peaceful, calm environment.

• Caregiver Reassurance: Explains normal physical signs and symptoms of the active dying phase to ease family anxiety.

• Sensory Guidance: Uses soothing elements like soft music, gentle touch, Reiki, or reading to comfort the dying person.

• After-Death Support: Guides families through the initial hours following death, helping with immediate next steps before the funeral home arrives

What is Legacy Work?

A legacy death doula is a trained, non-medical professional who helps a dying person reflect on their life and create tangible meaningful projects to leave behind for loved ones.

• Life Review: Guided conversations to process memories, accomplishments, and important life lessons.

• Tangible Projects: Creating scrapbooks, photo albums, recipe books, or video/audio diaries.

• Personal Letters: Writing farewell letters, ethical wills, or tailored notes of wisdom for family members and friends.

• Creative Expression: Using art, music, or poetry to articulate feelings and values that outlive the individual