Explanation Letter

This eform provides:

• an explanation letter helps you explain why you are making property distribution the way that you are making them
• documentation to inform readers of your mental state while you were making the property distributions
• and more

This explanation letter can be used in all 50 States and Washington, D.C.

An explanation letter is not a legal document, but may be looked at by a court as to your mental state and/or why you made the distributions that you made. It does not need to be notarized but does need to be signed and dated by you. An explanation letter is not a will. It is a personal statement that you want to make. This is especially helpful if you think that the property distribution that you make will be contested. It can also help others understand why they were not left the property that they thought they might get.

An explanation letter is not the place to say things that you could not say while you were alive (such as the passing on of knowledge that you have acquired during your lifetime, family history (of illness and immigration), what you hope for you loved ones after you die, and/or to explain your views on what will happen after you die. That should be done in an ethical will).

In this packet is a sample explanation letter that is the normal format that lawyers use. Although there are no real hard and fast rules for how you should create an explanation letter, following the usual format can make things go by more smoothly.

In this packet is an Executive Summary that details background information on the explanation letter. There are no State Specific Information because the explanation letter is not a legal document and can be used in any state. This packet does include a checklist to help you complete the sample ethical will. The Checklist details how to use the packet and tasks to complete. The Walkthrough Instructions provide an explanation of the parts of the sample form. The packet comes in Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, and Rich Text Formats.

Below are common questions, with answers.

What is an explanation letter?

An explanation letter is a letter that you make to explain why you're making the property distributions that you are making. It is not a legal document. The most common format is straight forward and easy to read with one letter for each person (not property) that you want to provide an explanation for giving/or not giving a person certain property.

What is the benefit of creating an explanation letter? Can I not create one and get away with it? Do I really need it?

An explanation letter is not mandatory by any laws and in some cases an explanation letter will not be admitted into a court. So, you can certainly get away with not creating one. The reason why you would want to create an explanation letter (the benefit, if you will) is to help explain some of the unexpected distributions that you may have made in your Last Will and Testament. This is going to be a hard time for your loved ones and with those trying to figure out what should happened to your property after you die. An explanation letter can help your get your say in what will happen to that property.

Is this explanation letter a legal document? Is it legal?

No, and an explanation letter is generally not recognized in any court because the explanation letter, at most, will only contain your own signature and no one else's. There is very little legal reliability in the document. A court my look to the explanation letter to get some insights into why you made distributions the way that you did. An explanation can become important in certain contexts.

Why use this explanation letter? Is this explanation letter all that different from something I create myself?

This packet was created specifically to help you structure what you want to say, to help you explain the property, the shares, and why you are making the property distributions in your last will and testament that you are making. Since the forms are fully customizable, you can add or remove as much as you need.

What is the difference between an explanation letter and an ethical will?

An explanation letter is to help explain property distributions in your will while an ethical will is a personal message that you want to leave to loved ones.

How will your explanation letter be given to the person the explanation letter is addressed to after you die?

Your explanation letter becomes part of your estate and you will leave instructions to your executor on what to do about the explanation letter. You can instruct your executor to mail the letter, personally deliver the letter, and/or read the letter openly to the person the explanation letter is addressed to. The explanation letter can be read once and then destroyed or can be given to the person named.

Why would I buy this eform when I can get the information out there on the internet for free? Why is this explanation letter worth it?

This explanation letter can help you explain your wishes in a more formal format. There is certainly a lot of information out on the internet. Some of it is helpful and some of it is simply not relevant. Our forms help to greatly reduce confusion by providing quick-access to the information needed to get the job done. In turn, this could prevent problems with layout, format, and unfamiliarity. Having a good sample is generally a good idea to help you get down what you want and not have to make repeated corrections over and over. The more clarity you provide in your explanation letter, the more your reasons in the explanation letter can come across and may help fulfill your wishes. This packet includes a sample explanation letter which is meant to make your job a bit easier. Since the forms are written by a licensed attorney you can benefit from a lawyer's true trade-skill, structured writing.

Break the writer's block or starting from scratch or using scattered inaccurate explanation letters that are often written by non-attorneys. Express your rights. Gain peace of mind without spending a fortune.

Table of Contents:

1. Executive Summary

2. Checklist

3. Walkthrough Instructions

4. Sample Form

Total number of pages in this packet: 6.

Formats include Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, and Rich Text. No physical copy is included. Copies can be edited and printed.