Personal Belongings Distribution List

Who this is for

Your belongings and who you would like to have them. Each line names the item, where to find it, the person you have in mind and the story behind the choice, with a second choice if that cannot happen.

Anyone who wants to leave clear wishes about personal things, such as jewellery, keepsakes, furniture or collections, so the family is not left guessing later.

What this helps you track

• Which items you want to go to which people
• Where each item is kept, so it can be found
• The reason or story you want passed on with it
• A second choice for each item
• Things you have already handed over

How to use it

1. Write your name, the date, where you will keep the list and who has a copy.
2. Go room by room and write down the items that matter to you, with enough description to identify each one.
3. For each, name the person you would like to have it, their relationship to you and, if you wish, the reason.
4. Add a second choice in case the first is not possible, and tick given once an item has been handed over.
5. Keep the list with your will and other papers, tell your executor where it is, and date and replace it whenever it changes.

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 legally binding?

The sheet makes no claim that it is. Whether a list like this carries any legal weight depends on how your will refers to it and the rules where you are. Ask the person who drew up your will how best to record these wishes.

Why add the reason or story?

Because an item often matters for the memory attached to it. Writing down why you chose someone, or where a piece came from, passes that on and can head off misunderstandings between relatives.

What if I change my mind?

Cross out the line or write a new list, and put the date on it. Keep only the current version with your papers and let whoever holds a copy know it has been replaced.

What is the given already column for?

Some people hand things over during their lifetime. Ticking the line shows your family that the item has already gone to the person named and is not missing.