ETHICAL WILL

Sharing the Legacy of your Life

'Tis with our judgments as our watches, none
Go just alike, yet each believes his own.
Alexander Pope

An Ethical Will is one of the most essential elements in your end-of-life plan. If you consider your end-of-life plan in the shape of a 3-point triangle, the first point is your Last Will and Testament. This legally binding document determines, upon your death, who will inherit your physical property and how your assets will be distributed. 

The second point in the triangle is your Living Will. This essential document addresses your end-of-life health care preferences, including how you wish to be cared for and where, when you are unable to communicate or make such decisions for yourself.  This is an important document that everyone should have.

The third point in the triangle is your Ethical Will. Also known as a Legacy Statement or Legacy Letter, this may be the most important document for the continuing generations of your family. Your Ethical Will describes the values and beliefs that you have lived your life by. The Ethical Will can provide the foundation for the decisions you have made in your Estate Will and Living Will. In this document your children, siblings, and other important family members will learn about your guiding principles, choices made, and words of wisdom for those whose lives are still ahead of them.

See a sample Ethical Will here.

Ethical Will Workbook Now Available

For parents, an Ethical Will is where your preferences for the way your children are raised without you are established.

For elders, an Ethical Will is where you can share the lessons of the successes and challenges you've had, and the choices you have made throughout your life. Your wisdom is a valuable gift to your loved ones whose lives are still before them.

The Ethical Will that you write will become a treasured family document with personal meaning for each individual it is addressed to, and for those who are permitted to read it. Imagine having such a document from your grandfather... this would be priceless.

Although it can be shared anytime, an Ethical Will is usually shared near or at the time of death, i.e. when the Estate Will is read. Your Ethical Will gives you the opportunity to have the final say about who you are.

See a sample Ethical Will here.

Ethical Will Workbook Now Available

Making your Ethical Will is easy as 1-2-3

1. Decide what you want to say. Think about it in the car or bus, and while standing in line or brushing your teeth.

2. Write it down. Get yourself a cup of tea or coffee and start writing. By hand, or printed from a computer, it doesn't matter as long as it is legible to others. It will feel good after you do it!

ddHere's what to consider including:
fffffffffffffff-how your childhood affected your adult life
fffffffffffffff-why you made certain education and/or career choices
fffffffffffffff-what role your spiritual beliefs have in your daily life
fffffffffffffff-your thoughts and feelings about being a parent/spouse/citizen
fffffffffffffff-goals achieved
fffffffffffffff-words that might mend a broken relationship
fffffffffffffff-a significant turning point and its result(s)
fffffffffffffff-your very own unique and helpful advice

3. Place your Ethical Will in a safe location. Be sure to instruct your attorney or family representative about when and to whom you would like this document to be shared.

Private Consultation and Workshops Available
 
A guided Ethical Will session will help you sort through your many thoughts and feelings about your lifetime of success, challenge, and learning. Each session is discreet and confidential, and begins with a question and answer conversation to review your life and personal interests, and take stock of where you are today.  Then we get down to work discussing ideas, taking notes, and writing up a draft of the document you want to share with your loved ones. At the end of the Guided session you will have a draft document. A final document will be produced and, upon your approval, printed on archival paper, beautifully detailed, and sealed in an envelope ready for placement in a safe deposit box, file drawer, or with an attorney or trusted family member. Additional sets can be ordered.

Private consulations and group workshops available throughout the Lake Champlain region.

Please contact Mimi Clark with an email now.

Legacy Cottage is owned and operated by professional historian, Mimi Clark. With a master's degree in Public History, Mimi has over 20 years of experience working with historic documents, artifacts, and themes in a variety of settings, including museums, historic sites, photograph collections, and film companies across the country. With each project, Mimi brings a professional approach and joyful curiousity to the discovery, presentation, and care of precious keepsakes and personal histories. Legacy Cottage is a one-stop resource for the materials needed to collect, share, celebrate, and store family stories and mementos.

Mimi Clark is a member of the National Council on Public History. The public need for the best historical information and analysis motivates every undertaking of NCPH. The council believes that the study of the past provides the soundest basis for making intelligent choices on how to resolve the problems of the present.