Casey Kasem passed away over two months ago. However, the radio icon has still not been laid to rest. That is because his wife and his children are embroiled in a battle over where to bury him.

Casey’s wife, Jean, wants to bury him in Oslo, Norway. His children are fighting back, demanding that he be buried near his home in California. Kasem’s children have written a letter to the government of Norway imploring them to deny the request of Kasem’s wife to have him buried there. They also allege in their letter that Kasem’s wife had abandoned and isolated their father in the last year of his life in favor of her boyfriend. Norway is now consulting with attorneys to decide what to do.

No matter how this turns out, thousands of dollars will be spent on both sides of the argument and family relationships will be destroyed. It didn’t have to be this way.

If Casey Kasem had simply taken the time to make his wishes known, in writing, about who he wanted making decisions about his final disposition as well as where he wanted to be buried, he could have saved his family thousands of dollars, maintained privacy, and preserved family relationships. Estate planning is rarely about you. It is a gift you give to those you leave behind. The clearer your instructions about everything, including who you want making decisions about your funeral and burial, and what you want for those, makes it far easier on your family.

If you would like to learn more about the importance of written instructions for your memorial and disposition, click here.

Chuck Roulet
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Nationally Recognized Estate Planning Attorney, Author, and Speaker
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