disposition of last remains
Reviewed by Owen Hathaway, AttorneyUpdated June 4, 2026A document naming who controls funeral and burial or cremation decisions and stating a person's wishes, so the family is not left guessing or fighting.
A declaration of disposition of last remains designates the person authorized to direct funeral, burial, or cremation arrangements and may record the maker's specific wishes. It resolves who has legal authority over the body and final arrangements.
Putting these instructions in a dedicated document, rather than only in a will, matters because a will is often not located or read until after the funeral.
Colorado provides a statutory declaration for disposition of last remains (C.R.S. § 15-19-101 et seq.). Wyoming addresses control of disposition by statute as well. In both states, a clear written designation reduces family disputes.
Related terms
- advance directiveAn umbrella term for legal documents that record health-care wishes and treatment instructions before a crisis, covering scenarios from temporary incapacity to persistent vegetative state to end of life.
- willA signed, witnessed document that says who gets a person's probate property after death and names an executor to carry it out. It takes effect only at death and only after probate.