A Legacy Letter
The values-and-stories version of a will.
A legal will distributes your property. A legacy letter distributes the rest — the stories, the lessons, the apologies, the values, the love that was assumed and never said out loud. It is a centuries-old tradition (sometimes called an ethical will or forever letter), and estate planners now routinely encourage it alongside the legal will.
Write yours today; we seal it and deliver on the date you choose, up to two years out.
The Four Parts
What goes in a legacy letter
There is no single right format. Most legacy letters cover some combination of these four:
Stories
The unwritten family stories — the ones you have told a hundred times but no one else has. Without you, they are gone.
Values
The principles you tried to live by, in your own words. Not lectures — observations, with examples.
Apologies & Forgiveness
The things you regret. The things you forgive. The things you hope they will forgive you for.
Love & Blessing
What you wish for them — in specific terms. Not “happiness.” The exact specific things you want them to have.
Simple Pricing
One payment. No subscription.
Digital Legacy Letter
$9
Type online. We print on cream stationery, seal with wax, mail on your chosen date.
Write DigitalMail-in Handwritten
$19
The lasting version — your handwriting on your paper, sealed and held until your chosen date.
Start HandwrittenFrequently Asked
What exactly is a legacy letter?
A legacy letter (also called an ethical will, forever letter, or values letter) is a personal letter that passes on what your will cannot: the stories, the lessons, the love, the apologies, and the values you want the people you love to inherit. It is a centuries-old tradition that estate planners now routinely encourage alongside the legal will.
Is this the same thing as an ethical will?
Functionally yes — ‘ethical will’ is the more formal term used by estate planners and clergy, ‘legacy letter’ or ‘forever letter’ is the more contemporary one. Same document, different name.
When does the letter get delivered?
We deliver any date from one month to two years out — so within our current window, this is best for letters you want delivered on a specific anniversary, milestone, or scheduled date. For posthumous delivery beyond two years, we are not the right service yet; a fireproof home safe or your attorney with delivery instructions are better options for now.
Should the letter be handwritten?
If you can. Handwriting is the most lasting form of a legacy letter — the recipient gets your actual handwriting in their hands, which becomes its own artifact. If handwriting is hard for you, our digital $9 option still produces a printed letter on cream paper that lasts decades.
Should I tell my family in advance?
Up to you. Some people tell one person (a spouse, an executor) so the letter is not a surprise. Others leave it entirely as a surprise. The Better Place Forests / ethical will literature is mixed; both work.
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