🔑 “Personal Belongings” and Similar Phrases in New York Wills (Rule + Authority)

Descriptive phrases like personal effects, personal belongings, and household effects are common in wills and frequently litigated.

These phrases can be extremely broad, but courts often narrow them based on context, especially when the phrase follows an itemized list (ejusdem generis) or when other specific bequests in the will suggest a narrower reading.