What is an Ethical Will and Do I Need One?

October 1, 2025 Posted In Estate Planning,Wills

An ethical will, sometimes called a legacy letter, is different from a traditional will. While a traditional will outlines how assets will be distributed, an ethical will is a deeply personal document that conveys values, life lessons, and heartfelt messages to loved ones. Though it is not legally binding, an ethical will can be a powerful tool for strengthening family connections and leaving a meaningful legacy.

Ethical wills can provide:

• Clarity and context: Explain the reasoning behind decisions in your will or estate plan.
• Emotional support: Share blessings, love, and encouragement for heirs and future generations.
• Family legacy: Preserve stories, traditions, and histories to connect loved ones to their roots.
• Closure and comfort: Offer peace of mind to your family by leaving them with thoughtful reflections and lasting memories.

Including an ethical will as part of your estate planning can add a personal touch that goes beyond financial considerations, ensuring your values and voice resonate long after you’re gone.

What Should an Ethical Will Include?

Like wills (and other estate planning devices), an ethical will can cover a number of different topics, and it can be tailored to serve your needs, wishes and goals. Some of the specifics that can (but do not necessarily have to be) covered in an ethical will include:

• Lessons, advice and anecdotes you’ve learned, want to share or have experienced
• Personal beliefs and statements of faith
• Family stories, histories and legacies
• Apology statements
• Explanations about why certain assets were given to certain heirs.
• Essentially, ethical wills can share deeper insights about you, your choices, your beliefs, and your legacy.

How to Get Started on an Ethical Will

The personal nature of ethical wills means that there is no cookie-cutter method of devising these documents. This can open up the possibility of developing ethical wills in various ways and in various formats. Some ideas for getting this process started include:

• Writing an email or letter to loved ones
• Filming a video
• Making an audio recording yourself reading your ethical will

Keeping Your Ethical Will Safe and Relevant

Once you’ve developed an ethical will, safekeeping it will be essential to ensuring that it’s available to share with loved ones in the future. Some tips for preserving your ethical will include to keep a copy:

• With your estate plan
• In a safe deposit box
• With your attorney
• In a digital format that is readily accessible at any point in the future

As with your traditional will and estate plan, reviewing and updating your ethical will is important to making sure that it is up to date (and that, at any point, it applies to your situation). While you may simply want to revisit your ethical will every so often (like every one to two years), it is also wise to review and, if needed, revise an ethical will when major life events, such as the following, occur:

• Divorce or marriage
• The birth of a new child
• A death in the family

Get Help Completing the Rest of Your Estate Plan: Contact a Denver Estate Planning Attorney at Colorado Estate Matters, Ltd.

For experienced help developing, revising or administering an estate plan, contact a trusted Denver estate planning attorney at Colorado Estate Matters, Ltd. Our skilled Denver estate planning lawyers provide a thoughtful, comprehensive approach to our clients’ estate planning needs, and they are proud to help each of our clients and their families find the best solutions for them (based on their circumstances, needs and goals).

We can discuss your estate planning needs and different options during our consultation. To schedule this meeting, call us at (303) 713-9147.