Letter of wishes

A letter of wishes is an informal and non-binding letter addressed to your executors (i.e. the people who carry out the instructions you've left in your will).

You can use it to help or guide them on pretty much anything you like. For example, you can:

• List the significant things you own, including bank accounts, life insurance policies, valuable items, shares etc. and their location.
• Give information to help identify specific items you're giving away in your will (e.g. detailed descriptions or photos).
• Leave special instructions about your burial or cremation.
• Leave instructions about arrangements for your pets.
• In England, Wales or Northern Ireland, explain why you've decided to leave someone out of your will, or leave them less than they might expect (to help defend any legal challenge that these people might make after you've died).

If you've made a will that asks your executors to give away certain personal possessions or digital assets in accordance with a separate note, you can use this letter as that note.

If your will creates a trust, you can also use this letter to leave guidance for the trustees on how you want the trust to be managed. Note: if your will creates more than one trust that you want to leave guidance for, you'll need to create separate letters for each of those trusts. Also, if you want to state wishes about a trust and other matters, you'll need separate letters for your executors and trustees if they're not the same people.