A letter of instruction is a non-legal document that provides your executor with practical information about handling your estate. Unlike your will or trust, this letter isn’t legally binding, but it serves as a valuable roadmap for your loved ones. We often see families struggling after someone passes because important details were never written down. At W.B. Moore Law, we recommend creating this document to complement your formal estate plan. It gives your executor the day-to-day information they need without cluttering your will with minor details.
What Financial Information Should I Include?
Your executor needs to know where your assets are located. This means listing all your accounts, even the ones you rarely use. Start with your bank accounts, including checking and savings accounts at every institution. Include account numbers and branch locations. Add your investment accounts, retirement plans, and any brokerage accounts you maintain.
Don’t forget about insurance policies. List your life insurance, health insurance, homeowners insurance, and auto insurance policies with their policy numbers and company contact information. Your executor will need this information to file claims and cancel policies as needed. Credit card information helps your executor close accounts and settle debts. List each card with the company name and account number.
How Do I Document My Digital Assets?
Your digital life needs attention, too. Create a list of your online accounts with usernames. You can store passwords separately in a secure location, but make sure your executor knows how to access that information. Include social media accounts, email addresses, online banking credentials, shopping accounts, subscription services, and cloud storage accounts. Let your executor know whether you want these accounts memorialized, transferred, or deleted.
What Personal Wishes Should I Share?
This is where you share preferences that don’t belong in your will. A Windsor Estate Planning Lawyer can help you understand which items go in legal documents versus your letter of instruction. Funeral and burial preferences top this list. Describe whether you want burial or cremation, any specific ceremony requests, music selections, or readings you’d like included. If you’ve prepaid for services, note where those documents are kept. You might also include gift suggestions for personal items with sentimental value. While your will dictates legal distribution, your letter can suggest who might appreciate your grandmother’s recipe box or your collection of fishing lures.
Where Should I List Important Documents?
Your executor needs to find your paperwork quickly. Create a section that maps out where everything is stored.
List the locations of these documents:
- Will and any codicils
- Trust documents
- Property deeds and titles
- Vehicle titles
- Birth certificate and marriage license
- Military discharge papers
- Tax returns from recent years
- Safe deposit box location and key
Who Should Know About My Professional Contacts?
Include contact information for people who help manage your affairs. List your attorney, accountant, financial advisor, insurance agents, and tax preparer with current phone numbers and addresses. If you have a Windsor Estate Planning Lawyer, make sure their information is current. Add any business partners, employers, or professional organizations that need notification.
Should I Include Information About Dependents And Pets?
If you have minor children, provide details about their routines, medical needs, school contacts, and extracurricular activities. List their doctors, dentists, and any specialists they see regularly. Pet care information matters too. Document your pets’ names, ages, veterinarian contact details, feeding schedules, medications, and any behavioral quirks. If you’ve arranged for someone to take your pets, include their contact information.
Be sure to review your letter annually and update it whenever major life changes occur. Marriage, divorce, relocation, new accounts, or changes in relationships all warrant updates. Your letter of instruction gives your loved ones peace of mind during a difficult time. Taking time to document this information now saves your family stress and confusion later. We can help you create a complete estate plan that works alongside your letter of instruction to protect what matters most.