A legacy letter to your spouse or partner
Personal memories, appreciation, encouragement and the things you most want them to know.
Family Constitution Builder™ · Before I Pass™ included
Pass on more than possessions.
Capture the stories, values and thinking you want your family to understand. Create meaningful legacy letters—and build a Family Constitution that can help carry those principles forward.
Before I Pass™ captures the personal.
Family Constitution Builder™ turns the thinking into a framework.
What would you want them to understand if you were not there to explain it?
The memories that still make you smile. The lessons behind your decisions. Why money, responsibility and certain values mattered—and what you hope your family will continue.
Most families inherit assets. Few inherit the thinking behind them.
Family Constitution Builder™ helps capture the principles you hope will guide how your family uses what you have built, protects it and carries it forward.
What is a Family Constitution?
A Family Constitution is a written, non-binding guide that records the values, long-term intentions and practical principles a family wants to carry forward.
It can help clarify how your family approaches decisions, money, stewardship, responsibility, communication, leadership, succession and continuity.
It is not a substitute for your will, trust or legal documents. It helps explain the thinking behind them.
- Values
- Decisions
- Stewardship
- Communication
- Succession
- Continuity
The conversation may be as valuable as the document.
The finished document matters—but so does creating it. Important questions become visible before circumstances force them to.
- What do we stand for?
- What is family wealth actually for?
- How should responsibility work?
- How should we handle disagreement?
- What should the next generation understand?
- Who helps lead when circumstances change?
Turn assumptions into conversations, and conversations into a framework your family can revisit. You do not need a family office to think like a family.
How it works
You don't need the perfect words to begin.
Most people do not avoid this because they do not care. They do not know where to start. Before I Pass™ guides you one question at a time. Your first answers need to be honest, not perfect. Review, clarify and build on them as you go.
- Step 1
Capture what matters
Begin with Before I Pass™. Guided questions help you record important people, memories, values, decisions and wisdom worth passing on.
- Step 2
Create your legacy letters
Create letters for your spouse or partner, children, and other important people where desired. Review and edit them before keeping or sharing them.
- Step 3
Choose what carries forward
For Constitution customers, select approved reflections and explicitly confirm which ones should help inform your Constitution. Intimate letters are never automatically imported.
- Step 4
Build your Family Constitution
Work through family identity, vision, stewardship, decisions, communication, accountability, restoration, leadership and continuity.
- Step 5
Put it to work
Use your executive summary, full Constitution and Family Financial Forum™ framework for family discussion, professional review and future updates.
What you can create
Legacy letters to your children
Individual letters shaped around each relationship and the memories and guidance you provide.
Letters to grandchildren or other important people
Optional when desired, with individual or collective letters where your material supports them.
Attorney / Advisor Handoff Summary
A concise summary to help professional advisors understand the thinking and intent behind your plans.
Go further with Family Constitution Builder™
Turn selected approved reflections into the starting point for a practical family-governance framework: your executive summary, full Constitution and Family Financial Forum™ framework.
See What You Can Create →A document your family can actually use
Not something designed to disappear into a filing cabinet. Use it to guide Family Financial Forums, teach younger generations, clarify responsibilities, discuss stewardship and prepare for leadership transition.
A living document evolves as children grow, new generations arrive, businesses and responsibilities change, and significant life events occur. Revisit it with your family and professional team.
Do the thinking before you pay professionals to implement it.
Before your lawyer can implement what you want, you need to understand what you actually want.
Lawyers and qualified legal professionals are important for wills, trusts, estate planning and legal implementation. Family Constitution Builder™ does something different first: it helps you clarify what you actually want.
Arrive with your values, priorities and intentions substantially organized. Your professional team can better understand what matters and help determine appropriate tools under applicable laws and professional requirements. This may save time and effort for both you and your professional team.
Family Constitution Builder™ does not replace professional legal advice. It helps prepare you for more focused, productive professional conversations.
Choose your beginning
One family. A meaningful next step.
Complete family legacy experience
Family Constitution Builder™
Founding Beta Price
CAD $365.00
One time · plus applicable tax · no subscription
Includes the complete Before I Pass™ experience
- Guided reflection and personal legacy letters
- Attorney / Advisor Handoff Summary
- Family Constitution Builder
- Constitution Executive Summary and complete Constitution
- Family Financial Forum™ framework
We're offering special founding beta pricing while we test, learn from early users and continue refining the experience.
This price will increase after our beta phase is complete. Current target future price: USD $795.
Build My Family ConstitutionBuild the letters, values and family framework that can help guide your family for years to come.
Start with legacy letters
Before I Pass™
CAD $49.00
One time · plus applicable tax
- Guided reflection process
- Spouse or partner and child letters where applicable
- Optional grandchildren or other letters
- Attorney / Advisor Handoff Summary
Not ready for the full Constitution yet? Start here. If you continue later, you choose which approved reflections carry forward—without starting from a blank page.
Start With Before I PassOnline payment is not enabled. No card is requested and no purchase or founding price reservation is made here. Beta access is by invitation.
Your writing stays protected.
Your saved private writing is encrypted before it is stored and is not used for marketing.
Read our Privacy Policy →About
Created by Wealth On Main Street
Wealth On Main Street is a financial education platform and podcast focused on helping families think differently about money, planning and legacy. Richard Canfield originally developed and refined the Before I Pass process through his work with families, listeners and clients. After seeing how difficult it can be to capture the stories, values and intentions families may someday need, we decided to make the process available more broadly.
Frequently asked
What is a Family Constitution?
A Family Constitution is a written, non-binding guide that records the values, long-term intentions and practical principles a family wants to carry forward. It helps clarify decisions, stewardship, communication, leadership and continuity.
What can I create?
Legacy letters to a spouse or partner, individual children, and optionally grandchildren or other important people; plus an Attorney / Advisor Handoff Summary. The complete experience also includes your Family Constitution, executive summary and Family Financial Forum™ framework.
Do I need to be a good writer?
No. Guided questions help you begin without a blank page. Your first answers need to be honest, not polished.
What if I don't know what to say?
Memory-jogging examples and prompts help you reflect. Short or long answers are welcome, and you can revisit them.
What if I get stuck?
Work through one small question at a time. Take a break, then return to the thinking when you are ready.
Do I have to finish everything at once?
No. Your private progress is saved as you go so you can return over multiple sittings.
Can different people receive different letters?
Yes. Provide details about each relationship to shape an individual letter. Grandchildren can also receive a collective letter where that fits your material.
Is this only for older people or someone who is seriously ill?
No. Capture your memories and intentions while you can explain them personally, whatever your stage of life.
Is a Family Constitution only for wealthy or business-owning families?
No. Family businesses and multi-generational wealth families often use them, but questions about values, responsibility, money, communication and succession matter to many families.
How long does this take?
There is no fixed completion time. Work at your own pace over multiple sittings and return to questions as your thinking develops.
Why not just have my lawyer or attorney do this?
Lawyers are important for legal implementation. This process helps you first organize your values, priorities and intentions so your professional team can understand what matters and advise on appropriate legal and financial tools. It may save time and effort, but does not guarantee lower fees.
Is my Family Constitution legally binding?
No. It is a statement of family intent and governance, not a will, trust, shareholder agreement or legal contract. Qualified professionals can advise whether selected intentions should be reflected in legal documents.
Can it change as our family changes?
Yes. Revisit it as children grow, generations arrive, responsibilities change and leadership transitions. It is a living document your family can discuss and update over time.
Does Before I Pass use AI?
Yes. AI-assisted writing helps turn your reflections into drafts you can review and edit. See our Privacy Policy for details about how information is processed.
Who can read what I write?
Your saved private writing is encrypted before it is stored. Our team cannot unlock your stored writing. See our Privacy Policy for processing details and the limits of this protection.
What if I forget my passphrase?
Use the separate recovery key supplied during vault setup. If you lose both your vault passphrase and recovery key, neither you nor our team can recover the private writing. Resetting your account password does not unlock the vault.
Your Constitution is a statement of family intent and governance—not a will, trust, shareholder agreement or legal contract. Qualified advisors may help determine whether selected intentions should be reflected in legally binding documents.
Explore Family Constitution Builder