How do I leave specific items to specific heirs?
You can leave specific items to specific heirs in three different ways. Any lawyer will tell you it’s best to cover any such wishes in your will since this’ll leave no room for interpretation.
A letter of instruction is different. In some states, it isn’t legally binding, but you could still use it to go into detail about your personal items, burial instructions, passwords, and account numbers. Most people prefer these because they are written informally, which could help during this otherwise difficult process.
The final option is far riskier since it involves allowing a trusted person to take care of your personal items’ distribution. At the end of the day this person could or could not honor your wishes, so think long and hard whether you think this is the best option for you and your estate.