Family Tree Contact Sheet for Executors

Who this is for

Who the family are, and how to reach them. The sheet pairs a contact list with a simple three-generation grid, so an executor can work out who a will means by "my nieces" or "my grandchildren" and get in touch with each of them.

People putting their affairs in order, especially those with a large or scattered family, and executors trying to trace relatives named only by relationship.

What this helps you track

• Each relative's relationship to you, and whether they are living
• Addresses, phone numbers and email addresses
• Parents, siblings, children and grandchildren by name
• Dates of birth and death that settle who is who
• Notes such as married names or estrangements an executor should know

How to use it

1. Write the name of the person the sheet is about and the date it was prepared.
2. List relatives in the contact table with their relationship, whether living, and how to reach them.
3. Fill in the family grid generation by generation, adding dates of birth and death where known.
4. Use the notes columns for anything that would confuse a stranger: former names, half-siblings, stepchildren, people who have moved abroad.
5. Keep the sheet with your will papers and update it after births, marriages and deaths. The online version saves in your own browser.

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

Why does an executor need this?

Wills often name people by relationship rather than by name, and executors are frequently not close family. A sheet like this saves weeks of tracing and reduces the chance of someone being missed.

Should I include relatives I am not in touch with?

It usually helps to, with a note saying so. An executor may still need to identify or contact them, and knowing the history in advance avoids an awkward surprise.

Does this decide who inherits?

No. It is a map of the family and how to reach them. Who inherits depends on the will, if there is one, and on the rules where you are.

How far back should the grid go?

Three generations covers most wills: parents, siblings, children and grandchildren. If your will mentions cousins or great-grandchildren, add rows online or list them on the back.