The One Big Thing Your Estate Plan Is Missing
You may have great estate planning documents. You may have discussed them with your family. You may have even inventoried your digital assets and feel that your job is done. But your estate plan may still be missing one BIG thing: a "letter of instruction."
Contents
Do your representatives know what to do?
Managing an estate is a tough job. If you died today, would your Successor Trustee or other representatives even know where to start? Where is the key to your safe-deposit box? Where are your car titles? What is the combination to the floor safe? Where is the abstract of title to your home? What are the passwords to your computer and other online accounts?
A letter of instruction is meant to help guide your representatives through administering your estate after your death. Imagine that you could stand over the shoulders of your spouse or children or other loved ones and tell them exactly what needs to be done. Very likely, these individuals are going through a tremendous amount of stress and grieving. But you can ease their burden by leaving step-by-step instructions to help them through the process. That is the purpose of a letter of instruction.
What should my letter contain?
There is no right or wrong way to prepare a letter of instruction. A few ideas were mentioned above. Include a list of where your assets are located, how to access your accounts, where you keep important title documents, etc. These pieces of information are essential to managing any estate.
However, your letter can provide even greater detail. What subscriptions (cable, newspaper, lawn service) need to be canceled? What are the names and phone numbers of your advisers (financial, medical, spiritual, insurance) that should be contacted after your death? How can your representatives contact your family to let them know of your death? Where would you like your funeral held? Do you have a preferred program for your funeral? Do you already have an obituary prepared?
Your letter can also include instructions for distributing small items of personal property that have low market value — but high sentimental value — to your family. You may wish to distribute these items to certain beneficiaries rather than having them sold with your other property as part of an estate sale. Letting your representatives know about your wishes could keep these items from being lost forever. Remember, however, that your letter of instruction can only voice a preference for how you want untitled personal property distributed. All gifts of titled property must be made through proper legal documents.
Talk to an attorney about a letter of instruction.
Estate planning involves more than just legal papers. It is also about more than just your own well-being; it is about providing for your loved ones after you are gone. To discuss how you can take care of your loved ones after your death, contact the Oklahoma City estate planning attorneys at Postic & Bates for a free, no-obligation consultation appointment.
As a bonus, click below to download our FREE Estate Planning Guide for access to over 70 pages of information about estate planning and probate:
[As with all our posts, the contents of this article do not constitute legal advice and are subject to our site-wide disclaimer.]
Click here to view original web page at The One Big Thing Your Estate Plan Is Missing
You may have great estate planning documents. You may have discussed them with your family. You may have even inventoried your digital assets and feel that your job is done. But your estate plan may still be missing one BIG thing: a “letter of instruction.”
Do your representatives know what to do?
Managing an estate is a tough job. If you died today, would your Successor Trustee or other representatives even know where to start? Where is the key to your safe-deposit box? Where are your car titles? What is the combination to the floor safe? Where is the abstract of title to your home? What are the passwords to your computer and other online accounts?
A letter of instruction is meant to help guide your representatives through administering your estate after your death. Imagine that you could stand over the shoulders of your spouse or children or other loved ones and tell them exactly what needs to be done. Very likely, these individuals are going through a tremendous amount of stress and grieving. But you can ease their burden by leaving step-by-step instructions to help them through the process. That is the purpose of a letter of instruction.
What should my letter contain?
There is no right or wrong way to prepare a letter of instruction. A few ideas were mentioned above. Include a list of where your assets are located, how to access your accounts, where you keep important title documents, etc. These pieces of information are essential to managing any estate.
However, your letter can provide even greater detail. What subscriptions (cable, newspaper, lawn service) need to be canceled? What are the names and phone numbers of your advisers (financial, medical, spiritual, insurance) that should be contacted after your death? How can your representatives contact your family to let them know of your death? Where would you like your funeral held? Do you have a preferred program for your funeral? Do you already have an obituary prepared?
Your letter can also include instructions for distributing small items of personal property that have low market value — but high sentimental value — to your family. You may wish to distribute these items to certain beneficiaries rather than having them sold with your other property as part of an estate sale. Letting your representatives know about your wishes could keep these items from being lost forever. Remember, however, that your letter of instruction can only voice a preference for how you want untitled personal property distributed. All gifts of titled property must be made through proper legal documents.
Talk to an attorney about a letter of instruction.
Estate planning involves more than just legal papers. It is also about more than just your own well-being; it is about providing for your loved ones after you are gone. To discuss how you can take care of your loved ones after your death, contact the Oklahoma City estate planning attorneys at Postic & Bates for a free, no-obligation consultation appointment.
As a bonus, click below to download our FREE Estate Planning Guide for access to over 70 pages of information about estate planning and probate:
[As with all our posts, the contents of this article do not constitute legal advice and are subject to our site-wide disclaimer.]
