In broad terms a letter of direction is a document that gives instruction and guidance to a recipient.
Letters of Direction are used in various situations such as instructions to financial institutions to transfer funds (commonly used with the sale and purchase of real estate), and in the execution of a Will documenting the executors proof of control in regards to the deceased’s estate. Additionally, they can be written to give a financial broker power of attorney over an investment account.
In Estate Planning Letters of Direction are an additional document which provides instruction to the Executor(s) regarding dispersal of estate assets.
Letters of Direction are legally binding documents but with much more flexibility.
A Letter of Direction can be changed at any time. This is far more convenient and flexible than having a Will amended by codicils, drawn up by your lawyer. A Letter of Direction could contain more detailed instructions as to how each charity is to use the donation. This allows you to target more current or more specific objectives that align with your passions in your philanthropic giving.
Having a Letter of Direction can be more cost effective than adding codicils to your current Will, since a lawyer does not need to be engaged to draw up these documents.
Letters of Direction provide more privacy for the details of your estate. Any beneficiary that is left a percentage or a share (rather than a fixed sum) has a right not only to a copy of the full Will, but also has the right to request an inventory of all assets, and to a full accounting from the executors of the estate to make sure fair value was received for all assets. Instead of many charities seeing all these details, Link Charity, a partner with Global Aid Network, can do all these things for you and your family.
Charities can receive gifts from your estate anonymously. Simply leave the gift to Link Charity with that instruction included in the Letter of Direction. Your estate receives the charitable receipt from Link Charity, but the recipient charity will not be informed of your identity.