A Flexible Way to Handle Personal Belongings
Family heirlooms, jewelry, artwork, collectibles. These are often the items that cause the most friction during estate settlement, not because of their dollar value, but because of their emotional weight. Arizona gives you a straightforward way to handle them: a separate written list referenced in your will.
A will may refer to a written statement or list to dispose of items of tangible personal property other than money and not otherwise specifically disposed of by the will.
A.R.S. § 14-2513(A)This means you do not need a formal will amendment every time you decide your grandmother's ring should go to a different grandchild. You can update the list on your own, at any time, without involving an attorney or going through the will execution process again.
What the List Must Include
The statute sets clear requirements. The writing must either be entirely in your handwriting or signed by you. It must describe the items and the intended recipients with reasonable certainty. Vague references like "my good stuff" or "my valuables" will not hold up. Specificity matters.
To be admissible under this section as evidence of the intended disposition, the writing shall either be in the testator's handwriting or be signed by the testator and shall describe the items and the devisees with reasonable certainty.
A.R.S. § 14-2513(B)The list can be prepared before or after the will is executed. It can be altered at any time. It can even be a document that has no significance apart from its effect on the will. This is an exception to the general rule that writings incorporated into a will must exist independently. The catch: it only applies to tangible personal property, not money, real estate, or financial accounts.
