A letter if wishes is usually a document or letter of wishes that is attached or should accompany your will.

This document is not legally binding but gives your will executors, trustees and loved ones who are dealing with your estate a guide of your personal wishes to follow when you die.

Your wishes of intent should not be confused with a will here is a guide of what information is usually within your wishes:

• What contacts to notify of your death, in some cases perhaps who you would like not to tell
• Your funeral plans; cremations, burial, and specific instructions
• Funeral style
• Who you would like to invite to your funeral?
• Your reasoning behind your decisions
• Who to notify and share your wishes with?
• Listing important contact who manage your assets
• Listing insurance policies
• If trusts are included in your will, particulars relating to the main beneficiaries and any details of wishes and payments. Even where the trusts are kept and who manages them
• Listing small precious keepsakes that are not included within your will such as photos, books, inexpensive jewellery and perhaps their locations and whom they should be left to you
• Document with guidance on how you wish for your children to be cared, their religious beliefs, stories to be told and legacies to be passed on through the generations
• Where you would like your ashes to be kept

 

When is a good time to write my letter of wishes?

We would suggest completing your letter of wishes as soon as you can to stop any confusion. An ideal time would be when you are completing your will.

A Letter of Wishes should ideally be written in plain English, signed, and dated by the planner, but not witnessed to avoid any claim that it has become a legal Will or addition this should be seen as a different document but an essential one all the same to stop any confusion for your loved ones.
 

Do you need a lawyer to carry out my letter of wishes?

No, you can complete your letter of wishes. Using The Farewell Guide, you can download the your wishes and ask your will executor to cast over the wishes and attach them to your will for safe keeping.
 

Do I have to pay for a letter of wishes?

Many will services offer a paid for service for the letter of wishes, however, The Farewell Guide funeral planner is a free to use letters of wishes. If you complete your plan online and download it, it can then be passed to your will executor and loved ones.

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