Letter of intent
A letter of intent is the non-binding letter that sits beside your legal documents and says the things they cannot.
Free with an account.
This one is free. What you pay for any other document counts in full toward a package.
Who this is for
- You have made decisions in your will that would look strange without an explanation.
- You have a child with particular needs and want their routines and preferences written down.
- You want your executor to know the practical things - the accountant's name, the reason the house is titled the way it is.
- You want to say something to the people you love, and a will is the wrong place for it.
What it does not do
- It is not binding on anybody. Nothing in it changes who inherits, and if it contradicts your will, the will governs.
- It is not a place to make gifts. Anything you want somebody to actually receive belongs in the will or the personal property memorandum.
- It is not private from your executor. Write it knowing they will read it.
How to sign it in your state
Pennsylvania
Letter of Intent (Non-Binding)
This is an organizer or instruction document; it does not use a formal witness or notary ceremony.
Airlooms has no state-specific signing rule promoted into the guided Signing Center for this document yet, so this page will not guess at one. The witness and notary blocks are confirmed on the document itself when you generate it, and the document carries a review notice.
New York
Letter of Intent (Non-Binding)
This is an organizer or instruction document; it does not use a formal witness or notary ceremony.
Airlooms has no state-specific signing rule promoted into the guided Signing Center for this document yet, so this page will not guess at one. The witness and notary blocks are confirmed on the document itself when you generate it, and the document carries a review notice.
New Jersey
Letter of Intent (Non-Binding)
This is an organizer or instruction document; it does not use a formal witness or notary ceremony.
Airlooms has no state-specific signing rule promoted into the guided Signing Center for this document yet, so this page will not guess at one. The witness and notary blocks are confirmed on the document itself when you generate it, and the document carries a review notice.
Get started
Every legal document in a plan answers a question in a form a court will accept. None of them has room for why.
The letter of intent is the room. It is where an executor learns that the house is titled that way for a reason, where a guardian learns which lullaby works, and where the child who was left less finds out from you rather than from a lawyer.
It is not binding, and that is not a weakness. Nothing in it can accidentally contradict your will, because the will governs. Write it plainly, date it, and rewrite it when the facts change.
Common questions
Is a letter of intent legally binding?
No, deliberately. It carries context and instructions, and the will is what carries legal effect. If the two disagree, the will wins.
What should go in it?
The reasons behind a decision, the practical knowledge only you have, care instructions for a dependent, and anything you want said. Not gifts, and not anything that contradicts the will.
Why is it free?
It binds nothing, free versions exist, and writing it makes the rest of your plan easier to finish. You need an account so it can be saved and kept private in your Vault.
Can I explain why I left someone out?
You can, and think about how it will read years from now with you not in the room. Where the reason is likely to be contested, that is a conversation to have with an attorney.
Should I sign it?
Sign and date it so there is no confusion about which version is current, and replace it when things change.
Included in
- Will & Essentials, $69 for 18 documents, 55% less than buying the pieces. See what is in it
- Trust & Property, $129 for 28 documents, 57% less than buying the pieces. See what is in it