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Letter of Intent (Memorandum of Intent)
Legal/Rights§ 01 — Definition
A letter of intent is a non-binding document parents write to describe their child to the people who will step in later: daily routine, communication style and what specific behaviors mean, sensory triggers and what helps, medical history and providers, diet, sleep, favorite activities, religious or cultural practices, who the child trusts, and what a good life looks like in the parents' own words. It carries no legal force, which is exactly why it can say what a trust cannot. Trustees, guardians, conservators, and future caregivers rely on it, and courts and agencies read it as evidence of the family's intent. It should be stored with the trust binder, shared with the named trustee and guardian in advance, and updated every year or two as the child changes.
§ 02 — Why it matters for benefits
Everything else in an estate plan moves money and authority. This is the only document that transfers knowledge — the thousands of details that make the difference between your child being managed and your child being known.
