Letter of Wishes Template UK (2026): What to Include & How to Write One

Introduction — who this letter is addressed to

State your full name, the date, and address the letter to your named executor(s) and trustee(s). Make clear this is a letter of wishes, not a codicil to your will. Example opening: 'This is my letter of wishes to accompany my Will dated [date]. I address it to [executor names] as my executors.'

Guidance for your executor on administering the estate

Explain any practical information your executor needs that does not belong in the will itself: where the original will is stored, where to find key documents (mortgage, insurance, pension), account numbers and institutions, contact details for any solicitor or financial adviser involved, and any debts or liabilities to be aware of.

Personal possessions and sentimental items

List who you would like to receive specific personal items — jewellery, art, family heirlooms, vehicles, furniture. This is guidance, not a binding instruction, but executors and families almost always follow it. Be specific: use names and descriptions (e.g. 'my grandmother’s pearl necklace to my daughter Sophie').

Funeral and burial preferences

Record your preferences for burial or cremation, type of service (religious, humanist, civil), music, readings, flowers versus charitable donations, and where you would like any ashes scattered or interred. Keep the original somewhere easily found — your executor may need it within 24 hours of your death.

Digital assets and online accounts

List your significant online accounts and state what you want done with them: social media (delete or memorialise), email, online banking, subscription services, domain names, cryptocurrency wallets, cloud storage. For anything with financial value, leave access information separately in a secure password manager and tell your executor where to find it.

Guidance on any discretionary trust

If your will creates a discretionary trust — common for minor children, vulnerable beneficiaries, or nil-rate band planning — your letter of wishes is particularly important. Explain who within the class of beneficiaries you would like to benefit, in what priority, and on what principles. Without this guidance, your trustees are guessing.

Messages and explanations for family members

Many people use the letter of wishes to leave personal messages — a statement of love, an explanation of decisions (especially if some beneficiaries receive less than others), or guidance on how you hope the family will come together after you are gone. These messages are private; they will not appear on the public probate record.

Signature and date

Sign and date the letter. You do not need witnesses. If you write more than one letter over time, date each one clearly and note which is the most recent. Destroy older versions or mark them clearly as superseded.