Alternatives to the Think Ahead Pack for End-of-Life Planning in Ireland
The Think Ahead pack from the Irish Hospice Foundation is the most recognised end-of-life planning resource in Ireland, and for good reason — it's free, thoughtfully designed, and widely distributed through hospitals, hospices, and GP surgeries. If your goal is to document your personal wishes, medical preferences, and practical information for your family, it's an excellent starting point.
But the Think Ahead pack was designed to address one specific layer of end-of-life planning: personal and healthcare wishes. It doesn't cover the legal mechanics of EPA registration through the MyDSS portal, the tax implications of how your estate is structured, the SA.2 filing process your executor will face, or the financial strategies that protect an unmarried partner from a six-figure inheritance tax bill. If you need those, you need a different resource — or a complementary one.
What the Think Ahead Pack Does Well
The pack includes structured sections for recording personal information (your PPS number, doctor details, solicitor contact), legal documents (whether you have a will, EPA, or Advance Healthcare Directive), medical preferences (resuscitation, organ donation, treatment preferences), and practical wishes (funeral preferences, digital accounts, location of important documents).
It's particularly strong as a conversation starter. Many Irish families struggle to raise end-of-life topics, and the Think Ahead pack gives them a structured framework for the discussion. GPs and hospital social workers use it as a bridge into advance care planning conversations.
What it's designed to be is a personal record — a folder your family can find that tells them what you want and where your important documents are. That's valuable. It's also where its scope ends.
Where the Think Ahead Pack Stops
| Planning Area | Think Ahead Pack | Citizens Information | Solicitor | Structured Planning Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal wishes documentation | Detailed | No | No | Brief |
| Healthcare directive guidance | General awareness | Explains the law | If asked | Step-by-step |
| MyDSS EPA portal walkthrough | No | Overview only | Handles it for you | Step-by-step |
| Revenue SA.2 pre-filing preparation | No | No | If asked | Structured worksheet |
| CAT strategy for cohabitants | No | Explains thresholds | If asked (billed) | Three strategies mapped |
| Credit Union nomination audit | No | Brief mention | No | Full audit process |
| Funeral cost comparison | Records preferences | Lists costs | No | Three-quote worksheet |
| Bereavement benefit routing | No | Explains each benefit | No | Decision trees |
The gap isn't a criticism of the Think Ahead pack — it was never designed to cover tax planning, portal mechanics, or financial strategy. The gap is a problem for families who assume that completing the Think Ahead pack means their end-of-life planning is done.
The Alternatives
Citizens Information
Free, authoritative, and comprehensive on individual topics. The Citizens Information website explains EPAs, probate, CAT thresholds, bereavement benefits, and funeral regulations — each as a standalone page. What it doesn't do is connect these topics into a planning sequence or provide worksheets for organising the information you'll need across multiple government systems.
If you have the time and patience to read 20 to 30 separate pages, cross-reference them, and build your own checklists, Citizens Information provides the raw information. Most families don't.
A Solicitor-Managed Process
A solicitor handles everything — will drafting, EPA creation, tax advice, probate preparation. A full estate service can cost around €4,000 depending on scope. The solicitor provides professional judgment on complex provisions (Section 117 protective clauses, trust structures, cross-border issues) and takes responsibility for legal execution.
The tradeoff is cost and dependency. You pay for the solicitor's time to gather information you could have organised yourself, and any future questions generate new billable hours. For complex estates — business interests, international assets, blended family disputes — a solicitor is the right answer. For straightforward family situations, much of the solicitor's time goes toward administrative work.
The Ireland End-of-Life Planning Guide
The Ireland End-of-Life Planning Guide sits between the Think Ahead pack and a full solicitor engagement. It covers the administrative and strategic layer that the Think Ahead pack omits — MyDSS EPA registration, SA.2 pre-filing worksheets, cohabitant tax protection strategies, Credit Union nomination audits, bereavement benefit decision trees, and funeral cost comparison worksheets — in a structured sequence that mirrors the order these tasks actually need to happen.
It doesn't replace the Think Ahead pack for personal wishes documentation, and it doesn't replace a solicitor for legal execution. It replaces the gap between them: the preparation work that takes families from "we should do something" to "we're ready for the solicitor appointment."
Free Online Templates and Guides
Various Irish legal websites and funeral planning services offer free will templates, EPA information sheets, and advance directive forms. Quality varies significantly. The main risk with free templates is that they're static — they explain the form but don't explain the process around it, the interactions between systems, or the compliance requirements that distinguish a valid document from an unenforceable one.
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How to Combine Resources
The most thorough approach for most Irish families isn't choosing one resource — it's layering them:
- Think Ahead pack for the personal wishes layer — healthcare preferences, practical information, conversation framework
- A structured planning guide for the administrative and financial layer — document preparation, portal processes, tax strategies, benefit routing
- A single solicitor appointment for the legal execution layer — will drafting, EPA witnessing, professional review of complex provisions
This combination typically costs less than a solicitor-only approach while covering more ground than any single resource. The Think Ahead pack handles what it does best (personal documentation), the guide handles what it does best (administrative preparation), and the solicitor handles what only a solicitor can do (legal execution).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Think Ahead pack still relevant after the 2015 Act changes?
The personal wishes and healthcare preferences sections remain fully relevant — documenting your preferences doesn't depend on legislation. However, the pack doesn't reflect the operational reality of the MyDSS portal for EPA registration, the current DSS fee structure (€30 registration, €90 activation), or the ongoing supervision requirements that attorneys face after activation. For the legal and administrative mechanics, you'll need a resource that specifically addresses the post-2015 Act process.
Can I use the Think Ahead pack as my Advance Healthcare Directive?
The Think Ahead pack includes sections for recording healthcare preferences, but completing it doesn't create a legally binding Advance Healthcare Directive under the 2015 Act. An AHD must meet specific statutory requirements: it must be in writing, signed by you while you have capacity, witnessed by two independent witnesses (at least one of whom is not an immediate family member), and clearly indicate the treatments you consent to or refuse. Using the Think Ahead pack's preferences section as a starting point and then formalising the directive separately is the recommended approach.
What if I've already completed the Think Ahead pack — what am I missing?
If your Think Ahead pack is complete, you have the personal layer covered. What's likely missing is the financial and administrative layer: whether your Credit Union nominations are current (and haven't been auto-revoked by marriage), whether your property ownership structure protects your partner from CAT, whether your executor knows how to navigate the SA.2 filing process, and whether you qualify for bereavement benefits you haven't documented. These are the gaps a structured planning guide addresses.
Should I start with the Think Ahead pack or a planning guide?
Start wherever the urgency is. If a parent's capacity is declining and you need to move on EPA creation, start with the planning guide — the MyDSS portal process is time-sensitive. If you're planning proactively with no immediate pressure, start with the Think Ahead pack to establish your personal wishes, then move to the administrative and financial planning when you're ready.
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