Letter of Wishes

A Letter of Wishes is a non-binding document that might accompany a person’s will or trust to provide guidance or explanations regarding the distribution of their assets. Unlike a will or trust, which are legal documents, a Letter of Wishes is informal and supplementary. A Letter of Wishes, which can also be called a Letter of Instruction or Letter of Intent, might include things like how the deceased would like their personal belongings to be distributed, funeral preferences, explanations of the terms in the will or trust, etc. 

Since a Letter of Wishes is not a formal legal document and is not part of public record, it can allow the grantor to express personal or sensitive information that they might not wish to include in legal documents. The informal nature of a Letter of Wishes also allows it to be easily updated or revised if circumstances change. 

A Letter of Wishes can be valuable for the executor or trustee by providing them with insight and context around the deceased’s intentions. Having this information can help the executor make decisions that align with the wishes of the grantor.