What is WillMaker's "Letter to Survivors"?

When working on your estate plan, you may find that you want to explain certain things to your loved ones. For example, you may want to let them know why you left a large gift to charity, why you named your sister (and not your brother) to look after your child's finances, or where you keep important papers or passwords. Or maybe you simply want to leave some thoughts about your life.

One simple way to convey these things is to write a letter that will be passed on to your loved ones when you die. The letter can be in any format you like, from a handwritten note to a more formal typed letter. WillMaker's Letter to Survivors can help you put your thoughts together. It prompts you about many types of information—you pick and choose the topics that you want to write about.

Type in your thoughts and ideas, and WillMaker will compile them together into a letter that you can leave for your loved ones.

In contrast to WillMaker's Letter to Survivors is WillMaker's Information for Caregivers and Survivors form. While Letter to Survivors helps you leave final thoughts in a letter, Information for Caregivers and Survivors provides a list of all of the details of your life -- from information about your bank accounts and insurance contracts to the code to your house alarm to a list of people you'd like contacted in the event of your illness or death. When you prepare this form, the program walks you through the particulars of your life, asking you to provide details on many topics, including things your loved ones may not know—such as the names of your doctors, whether you have life insurance, or how to access your online accounts. The result of this interview will be a document that will greatly aid those who need to care for you or manage your estate.

You can access Information for Caregivers and Survivors only through the download version of WillMaker.