Unlike traditional wills that transfer worldly possessions, an ethical will bequeaths values, ideas and personal reflections to family members and other loved ones. Ethical wills can be a reflection of the writer's life, including descriptions of significant events, and can express the writer's unique personality.
Ethical wills are an ancient Jewish tradition whose roots stem from early biblical times.
Early wills were passed on orally while those of later generations were recorded on paper. An ethical will need not be lengthy or time consuming to write, says Dr. Jo Turner, an Extension program specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. A few paragraphs can be meaningful to recipients. Experience in writing also isn't required to compose an ethical will. If the message is from the heart, spelling and grammatical mistakes will be inconsequential to the loved ones reading the words.