What is a family heirloom agreement?
After a parent dies, or when they downsize, families often find the hardest decisions aren't about the house or the savings but about the locket, the writing desk, the photo albums and the recipe box. Wills rarely list these things, and memories of who was promised what differ. An heirloom agreement lets brothers and sisters settle it together and keep a record.
This agreement is for three family members. It records whose belongings these are (a parent who has died, a living parent giving things away now, or items the family already holds), names any executor, and lists what each person receives. It covers items to share or rotate, digitising photos and letters, what happens to everything else (taking turns, selling or donating), whether values are balanced in money, collection, and a good-faith promise to offer items to the family before selling them. It never overrides a will.
- Best for
- Siblings and relatives dividing family keepsakes
- Signed by
- Three family members
- Remaining items
- Taken in turns, sold and shared, or donated
- Values
- Sentimental shares, or balanced in money after appraisal
- Length
- 2 pages
When to use a family heirloom agreement
- Dividing a late parent's jewellery, furniture and keepsakes
- A parent downsizing who wants their children to agree who takes what
- Rotating shared holiday decorations between households
- Digitising family photos and letters for everyone
- Making sure heirlooms are offered within the family before being sold
What you fill in
14 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: first family member, second family member, third family member.
1 The family
- First family member*
- Second family member*
- Third family member*
- Whose items these are* The belongings of a parent who has died · Items a living parent is giving away now, with their agreement · Items already jointly held by the family
- Name of the parent or original owner*
- Executor or personal representative (if any)
2 Who receives what
- Items to the first family member*
- Items to the second family member*
- Items to the third family member*
3 Sharing and copies
- Items to be shared or rotated
- Photos, letters and records* Digitised and copies shared with everyone · Kept by the person named, who will share copies on request
4 Everything else
- Everything not listed* Chosen in turns, in an order drawn by lot · Sold, with the proceeds shared equally · Donated to charity
- Balancing values* No — sentimental shares, not equal in money · Yes — differences in value are balanced in money
- Items collected by
5 Who signs
- First family member signature and date
- Second family member signature and date
- Third family member signature and date
What the family heirloom agreement covers
- Who receives what
- Shared items, photos and records
- Everything else
- Handover
- Keeping things in the family
- Disagreements and status
Using the family heirloom agreement, step by step
1 The family and the items
Enter the three family members, whose belongings these are, and the executor if there's an estate.
2 Who receives what
List each person's items as specifically as you can — descriptions, not just "the jewellery". Add any shared or rotated items.
3 Photos and the rest
Choose how photos and letters are shared, what happens to everything not listed, and whether values are balanced in money. Add a collection date.
4 Everyone signs
Send it to the other two; all three sign online and each gets the PDF. If there's an executor, give them a copy.
Tips before you send it
- Walk through the house together, or share photos of items, before writing the lists.
- Ask the executor to confirm the will doesn't already leave particular items to someone.
- Photograph heirlooms and keep the pictures with the signed agreement in your FileIt vault.
- If an item may be valuable, get it appraised before deciding whether to balance values.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Family heirloom agreement: frequently asked questions
Does this override my parent's will?
No. The agreement says expressly that a will applies where it gives a particular item to someone, and asks the executor to distribute items as agreed so far as the will and the law allow.
What if there are more or fewer than three of us?
This template is built for exactly three family members. For a different number, write your own version and upload it to FileIt eSignature to place each signature box.
Do the shares have to be equal in value?
No. You choose: sentimental shares with no balancing payments, or an appraisal with differences balanced in money.
Can we stop items being sold outside the family?
The agreement includes a good-faith first offer to the family before an item is sold or given away outside it. It doesn't otherwise limit what someone can do with their own property.
Can we sign from different places?
Yes. Each family member signs on their own device, and the signed PDF includes an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion.