Beneficiary and Contact List

Who this is for

Everyone to be contacted, on one sheet. Each person named to receive something has a line with their relationship, full contact details and what they are named to receive, so an executor can reach them without searching old address books.

People writing or updating a will who want their executors to have current details, and executors building the list from the will once the time comes.

What this helps you track

• The full name and relationship of each person named
• A current address, phone number and email for each one
• What each person is named to receive, in brief
• Another way to reach them if the first details go out of date
• Which document the list was taken from, and when

How to use it

1. Write who prepared the list, the date and the document it is taken from, such as a will of a given date.
2. Give each person or charity named a line, with their full name as it appears in the document and their relationship.
3. Add the address, phone and email you have for them, and a short note of what they are named to receive.
4. Write an alternative contact, such as a relative or their own solicitor, for anyone who moves often.
5. Check the details once a year or when you hear someone has moved; the browser version saves in your own browser.
6. Keep a printed copy with the will register or in the affairs folder.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Is this list the same as the will?

No. The will is the document that counts. This list is a working aid so the people named in it can be found. If the two ever disagree, the will is what executors act on, so keep the list in step with it.

Should I include charities and organisations?

Yes. Give them a line with their full registered name, any reference number they use and the address of the department that handles gifts, so the executor is not left guessing which branch to write to.

How much detail goes in the named to receive column?

Enough to identify the gift, such as 'the gold watch' or 'a share of the residue'. Leave the exact wording to the will itself; this column is only a reminder.

What about people who are not beneficiaries?

Use the family tree contact sheet for executors for relatives and others who should be told of a death but are not named to receive anything.