People have certain free will. They are given opportunities to fulfill themselves. The level of our fulfillment depends on individual choice [up to a point]. Free will can be a contradiction in terms, because no will is entirely free. It is governed by circumstances over which it has no control and to which the will must subordinate itself. Free will is conditioned by the elements, the laws of governments, the natural laws of the universe and by the state of your own evolution. Spirit guides cannot interfere with individual free will, but they can influence the choice of a better and more rational judgment in life.
Often, many spirit guides sadly stand by, helpless, powerless, impotent and watch those they love battling with a problem in life, knowing that the outcome will determine growth. Free will invokes decisions in accordance with mental outlook, state of evolution, stage of growth and how to use it.
So nobody has perfect free will. It is free will within a restricted range. The soul knows before it reincarnates what it has to achieve. It may take a long time for awareness to dawn. The soul has the awareness imprinted within it. If that awareness does not dawn, then it will have to incarnate again. If the awareness does come, then it will begin to fulfill the purpose of its incarnation.
Abuse of free will causes unnecessary struggle, needless squalor, disease and slums, which makes the task of the spirit more difficult in this world. When an individual decides to use free will and end his or her physical life, they may well be confronted with the law of retribution.