What is a Letter of Wishes and how do I start writing one?

A Letter of Wishes is a nonbinding document that puts your intentions, hopes, fears, and values about the wealth into plain language for your family to read. It is not a will or trust. It has no legal force. It can't contradict the formal estate documents. What it does is articulate the things founders almost never say out loud. What the wealth is for. What it isn't for. What you hope for your kids. What you fear. What values you want carried forward. Kris Kluver, in The Dysfunctional Family Office, treats the Letter of Wishes as the easier starting point before the more formal Founder's Mandate. The template walks through your origin story, fears, hopes, and beliefs about family, work, education, and conflict. The first draft is rough. That's the point.