During the estate planning process, your attorney will draft a number of legal documents such as a will, trust and power of attorney which will help you accomplish your goals. While these legal documents are required for effective planning, they may not sufficiently convey your thoughts and wishes to your loved ones in your own words.
A non-binding letter of instruction is a great compliment to your “formal” estate plan, allowing you to outline your wishes with your own voice.
There is no set format as to what to include in this document, though there are a number of common themes. First, you may wish to explain, in your own words, the reasoning for your personal preferences for medical care, especially near the end of life. Learning about these wishes in a personalized letter may give your loved ones greater peace of mind that they are doing the right thing when they are charged with making decisions on your behalf. You might also detail your preferences regarding a funeral, burial or cremation. These letters often include a list of friends to contact upon your death and may even have an outline of your own obituary.
You may also want to make note of the following in your letter to your loved ones:
- an updated list of your financial accounts with account numbers;
- a list of online accounts with passwords;
- a list of important legal documents and where to find them;
- a list of your life insurance and where the actual policies are located;
- where you have any safe deposit boxes and the location of any keys;
- where other important paperwork is located; such as car titles, birth certificate, marriage license, military discharge papers, divorce papers, copies of real estate deeds and mortgages;
- the names of your CPA, attorney, banker, insurance advisor and financial advisor;
- your social security number and card;
- names, addresses, and phone numbers of all children, grandchildren, or other named beneficiaries.
In drafting your letter, you simply need to think about what information might be important to those that would be in charge of your affairs upon your death. This document should be consistent with your legal documents and updated from time to time.