• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
  • Services
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Veterans Benefits
  • Seminars
  • Areas We Serve
    • Ballwin
    • Chesterfield
    • Clayton
    • Creve Couer
    • Des Peres
    • Edwardsville
    • Fenton
    • Glen Carbon
    • Glendale
    • Kirkwood
    • Maryland Heights
    • Oakland
    • Sappington
    • St. Louis
    • Sunset Hills
    • Valley Park
    • Webster Groves
  • Resources
    • Asset Protection Worksheet
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Chesterfield Elder Law
      • Fenton Elder Law
      • Kirkwood Elder Law
      • Sunset Hills Elder Law
      • St. Louis Elder Law
      • St. Peters Elder Law
      • Webster Groves Elder Law
    • FREE Estate Planning Seminars
    • FREE Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Estate Planning
      • Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Trust Administration & Probate
    • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
    • Medicaid Resources
    • Multimedia
    • Newsletters
    • Presentations
    • Pre Consultation Form
    • Probate Checklist
    • Probate Resources
    • Retirement Planning Checklist
    • Special Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning For Niches
      • Trust Administration
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Amen, Gantner & Capriano | Your Estate Matters, L.L.C.

St. Louis Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorneys

Logo
CONNECT WITH US TODAY (314) 966-8077
ATTEND A FREE WEBINAR
Home / Estate Planning / What Is a Letter of Instruction?

What Is a Letter of Instruction?

August 8, 2014

Estate Planning Tagged With: Missouri estate planning attorney, Missouri Letter of Instruction

What Is a Letter of Instruction?

A comprehensive estate plan is one that takes into account a variety of goals and objectives and that makes use of numerous strategies and tools. Although your Last Will and testament should serve as the cornerstone of your estate plan, it will likely not be the only document found in your estate plan. One estate planning document that people are often unfamiliar with is a Letter of Instruction. The versatility of a Letter of Instruction, however, makes it worth considering as an addition to your comprehensive estate plan.

A Letter of Instruction is not a legally binding document. Instead, it is a document that allows you to include information, directions, and/or explanations that are not found elsewhere in your estate plan. Because it is not a legally binding document, a Letter of Instruction can take any form and may be created to suit your needs. Though there are no guidelines for what can or should be included in your Letter of Instruction, people commonly use it for one of three reasons:

  • Instructions – you can use your Letter of Instruction to do just that – instruct your beneficiaries about important matters. You could include your general philosophy about investing, express your desires for how your gifts are to be spent, or even leave personal advice for each beneficiary in your letter. If you did not do so elsewhere in your plan, your Letter of Instruction is also an opportunity to provide instructions regarding your funeral and burial so that those you left behind don’t have to make difficult decisions during a time of immense grief.

  • Directions – regardless of how thorough your estate plan is, there will likely be practical information missing in the plan itself. Your Letter of Instruction can be used to provide directions not found elsewhere in the plan. Where are the keys to your pontoon boat? How do you winterize your vacation home? What real estate agent do you want your executor to use during probate? Directions such as these can be left in the letter to make life easier for those you leave behind.

  • Explanations – decision you made in your estate plan may be confusing to beneficiaries. In fact, they could lead to anger or resentment. You likely made those decisions for a good reason. If you wish to offer an explanation for controversial decisions you made in your estate plan, your Letter of Instruction is your chance to do so.

If you believe that a Letter of Instruction would make a valuable addition to your estate plan, consult with your Missouri estate planning attorney about creating one.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Paul Gantner
Latest posts by Paul Gantner (see all)
  • Staying Current is Especially Important in the Pandemic - November 17, 2020
  • Staying Current is Especially Important in the Pandemic - October 1, 2020
  • How Will You Age in Place and Be Able to Die at Home? - August 16, 2020

Filed Under: Estate Planning Tagged With: Missouri estate planning attorney, Missouri Letter of Instruction

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Updating Your Plan: Powers of Attorney
Updating Your Plan: Your Trust or Will
Tax Planning for 2021
Updating Your Plan: Beneficiary Designations
What the 2020 Election Could Mean for Your Estate Plan
Preparing for the Unexpected…and the Eventual

Primary Sidebar

Download our free Estate Planning Worksheet

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube

Blog Subscription

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Where We Are

Amen, Gantner & Capriano
10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 425
St. Louis, MO 63127

See Larger MapGet directions

Office Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Map

map for Amen, Gantner & Capriano Your Estate Matters office
  • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
  • About The American Academy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Footer

Connect to us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube
footer-logo

© 2021 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.

Amen, Gantner & Capriano,
Your Estate Matters, LLC

Attorney Advertisement