Creating a Legacy: Ethical Wills and Family Values
Dec. 8, 2025
Your ethical will complements your legal will and estate plan. While your legal documents handle the practical distribution of assets, your ethical will handles the meaningful transmission of values and wisdom.
Where to Keep Your Ethical Will:
With your estate planning documents so your executor can share it
In a letter to be opened after your death
As part of a video or audio recording
In individual sealed letters for each family member
Shared during your lifetime as a living document
Consider Timing:
Some people write ethical wills to be opened only after death, creating a final message. Others share them during their lifetime, using them as conversation starters and opportunities to discuss values while they can still engage with their family's responses.
There's no single right approach – consider what feels most meaningful for your family.
Starting Your Ethical Will: Prompts and Questions
If you're ready to begin but aren't sure where to start, consider these prompts:
About Your Life:
What are the most important lessons life has taught you?
What moments in your life are you most proud of?
What challenges shaped who you became?
What would you do differently if you could?
About Your Values:
What principles have guided your decisions?
Where did these values come from?
When was it hardest to live by your values, and what happened?
About Your Family:
What do you most want your children to know about you?
What family stories must be preserved?
What traditions do you hope will continue?
What makes your family special?
About Your Hopes:
What do you hope your children will remember about you?
What do you wish for their futures?
What do you want future generations to know?
How do you hope your life will have mattered?
About Love and Gratitude:
Who shaped your life, and how?
What are you most grateful for?
What do you want your loved ones to know about how much they meant to you?
Different Formats for Ethical Wills
Written Letters The traditional format – handwritten or typed letters that can be treasured and reread.
Video Messages Record yourself speaking directly to family members. They'll treasure hearing your voice and seeing your face.
Audio Recordings If video feels too formal, audio recordings capture your voice and can feel more intimate.
Scrapbooks or Photo Albums Combine photos with written stories and reflections, creating a visual ethical will.
Digital Documents Use platforms designed for ethical wills or create documents that can be easily shared digitally.
Combination Approach Use multiple formats – perhaps a written overview with video messages for each child and audio recordings of family stories.
[Schedule Your Free Consultation Now]
Book your FREE 30-minute consultation now and start building a plan that safeguards your loved ones and your legacy. Together, we’ll make sure your future is secure and your family is well cared for.
Remember—planning ahead isn’t just about protecting “stuff.” It’s about protecting your people. Don’t wait. Start today!
Your kids, your home, your legacy—don’t leave them to chance. Make a plan that gives you peace of mind and protects the future you’ve worked so hard to build.
PARENTING TIP:
The greatest inheritance you can leave your children isn't money—it's certainty.