Personal Belongings & Legacy: What Families Need to Know

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When someone dies, their belongings carry more than financial value, they hold memories, stories, and emotional weight. Deciding what happens to these possessions, homes, pets, and even digital accounts can feel daunting. This guide offers clear steps to help families manage these responsibilities with care.

• Belongings: If a will exists, it may specify who inherits certain items. If not, the executor or administrator decides how to distribute them, often guided by family discussions. Everyday items (clothes, furniture, books) can be donated, sold, or shared among relatives.
• Home: If owned, the property becomes part of the estate and may be sold, transferred, or inherited. If rented, the tenancy usually ends, and the landlord must be notified. Utility companies and council tax offices should also be informed.
• Pets: Some wills include instructions for pet care. If not, family or friends usually step in. Charities and rehoming organisations can help if no one is able to take them on.

• Increasingly, people leave behind digital legacies; social media profiles, email accounts, online banking, and subscriptions. Some wills or personal notes include login details or instructions. If not:
• Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow memorialisation or account closure. 
• Email providers and banks have formal processes for executors to request access. 
• Password managers (if used) may hold the keys to multiple accounts.

It’s wise to check whether they left a “digital will” or guidance in personal papers.

Sentimental belongings such as photos, jewellery, letters and keepsakes, often matter more than financial assets. To avoid conflict:

• Talk openly: Encourage family members to share what matters most to them.
• Rotate or copy: Photos and letters can be digitised so everyone has a copy.
• Agree on priorities: Some families draw lots or take turns choosing items.
• Seek mediation: If disagreements arise, a neutral friend or solicitor can help.
• Remember: fairness doesn’t always mean equal value—it means respecting emotional significance. 

Personal belongings and legacy decisions are about more than dividing property, they’re about honouring a life. Whether it’s a home, a beloved pet, or a box of old letters, these choices shape how families remember and carry forward their loved one’s story.

At Memento Mori, we encourage families to approach these decisions with honesty, patience, and care. Practical steps matter, but so does the spirit in which they’re taken.