Many clients want to leave more than just money to the next generation and seek ways to be able to express their hopes for the future. An ethical will is an excellent way to pass down a message to loved ones and state your final thoughts about the world. There is no set format for these documents as they have been as long as hundreds of pages down to a few heartfelt sentences. They also have the advantage of not imposing any binding conditions. No matter the style, advise the client to carefully think through what they want to say so they may have the peace of mind knowing their finals hopes and opinions will be clearly communicated.
See Lauren Foster, Bequeathing Smart Strategies, Barron’s, Sep. 18, 2010.
Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse for bringing this article to my attention.
