Often estate planning attorneys suggest that along with your legal documents, you also consider writing a letter, or set of letters, to your loved ones. This may be referred to as an Ethical Will or Legacy Letter. The premise behind the letter is to leave your legacy by expressing your values.
Hopefully, by sharing your thoughts and values in this way you give your family a better understanding of your wishes which not only leaves them with a better appreciation of the decisions made in your estate plan, but a purposeful intent to honor those wishes.
The letter affords you the opportunity to impart to your loved ones that you have come to terms with your own mortality, learned from mistakes, and intend to create a better future for them after your passing.
This may be a difficult letter to write and take a considerable amount of time, energy and forethought, but the results can be overwhelming. These letters have a way of healing old grievances, reuniting loved ones and creating a peaceful approach to estate administration.
Some ideas to help you start your letter include:
-Share stories that shaped your life.
-Express your hopes and dreams for each of the beneficiaries.
-Recount your blessings and your hardships.
-Be genuine, heartfelt and benevolent in expressing your deepest thoughts and emotions.
For more information on estate planning in the Greater Baltimore area, please contact Stouffer Legal at 443-470-3599. We can help you create this dying love letter that brings peace to your loved ones.
