Is Handwriting Important?

[Apostle]

I feel as if it'd be more respectful and genuine somehow, to write the note by hand. But my writing is horribly messy, almost illegible to some of my family. Would it be better to leave a typed note, just for the sake of ease and clarity? Or just try to push myself to get my printing as clear and neat as possible?

 

[Jessica-]

I feel as if it'd be more respectful and genuine somehow, to write the note by hand. But my writing is horribly messy, almost illegible to some of my family. Would it be better to leave a typed note, just for the sake of ease and clarity? Or just try to push myself to get my printing as clear and neat as possible?

I have terrible handwriting but still chose to write my notes instead of having one printed. I think it's definitely more personal. For the post mortem practical matters , I had them typed out separately.

 

[Apostle]

I think you're right. Thank you, I'm pretty sure I'll write it out, cold and impersonal are the last things I'd want my parting words to be. I'll just suck it up and try to write it carefully, it's the absolute least I could do.

 

[TiredHorse]

I have ridiculously bad handwriting so I typed out all my notes, but my family knows from long, frustrating experience that my handwriting is illegible and that a typed note from me does not indicate a lack of emotional investment.

And I made sure to sign them all with my characteristic scrawl.

 

[Apostle]

That's totally respectable, especially since you already seem to have an understanding with your family about it. The signature is a good enough personal touch in your case that I'm sure the sincerity would come across for your family.

 

[reznikoff]

I have bad handwriting too haha. I still choose to handwrite my notes. As someone before me said, it's more personal. Those who will grieve you when you're gone will have a little part of you to keep.

 

[BridgeJumper]

I have my suicide note both written by hand and in digital version on my computer

 

[Apostle]

That's what I was thinking. In fact I'll probably type it first just so I don't have to think about what I'm putting on it, and I can focus better on the handwriting for the physical one.

 

[GeorgeJL]

Type it out then sign it.

 

[s_girl]

I think hand writing is more personal and shows you put in more effort and care. I plan to have a digital typed version and a handwritten version.

I know in my area that typed notes are deemed 'suspicious' by the police and often trigger an investigation into the death, just so they can be sure it's not a homicide. It often causes the coroner to have an investigation and inquest to ensure it actually was a suicide. There is a long history of murders that use a typed suicide note to try to cover up their crime. Signatures can easily be faked and are not reliable enough. We really want them to quickly and easily determine it was a suicide.

If you don't want to cause an unnecessary investigation into your death and a serious invasion of your privacy, you should at least do BOTH digital and handwritten.