Florida Statute 732.515
“Separate writing identifying devises of tangible property”
What it means
You don't have to amend a will every time you want to leave a specific heirloom to a specific person. §732.515 lets a will refer to a separate written list that disposes of tangible personal property — jewelry, furniture, art, collections.
The list must be signed by the testator and describe the items and the recipients with reasonable certainty. It can be written before or after the will, and changed later without any witnesses. It can't be used for property used in a trade or business, and it only works if the will actually refers to such a list. If two lists conflict, the most recent one controls.
- Disposes of tangible personal property — belongings like jewelry, furniture, and art.
- Must be signed by the testator and describe items and recipients with reasonable certainty.
- May be prepared before or after the will and altered later — no witnesses required.
- The will must refer to the separate writing for it to work.
- Cannot cover property used in a trade or business.
- Where writings conflict, the most recent one controls.
How it plays out
This is a small convenience that prevents a lot of squabbling. We build the referring language into the will, then hand the client a form list they can update in their own handwriting whenever they change their mind — no lawyer, no witnesses, no new will. The failure we see is a list nobody can find, or one the will never referenced. We tell clients to keep it with the original will, because a separate writing that can't be located does the family no good.
Where this shows up
Pages on this site where § 732.515 does real work:
Questions people ask
