Wills and Estates Legal Dictionary

Terms Used in Law of Wills and Estates

Wills and Testaments

• advance directive (ad·VANS de·REK·tiv)
• agent (AY·jent)
• attest (a·TEST)
• attesting witness (a·TEST·ing WIT·nes)
• beneficiary (ben·e·FISH·ee·air·ee)
• bequeath (be·KWEETH)
• bequest (be·KWEST)
• decedent (de·SEE·dent)
• devise (de·VIZE)
• devisee (dev·i·ZEE)
• devisor (dev·i·ZOR)
• directive to physicians (der·EK·tiv to fi·ZI·shens)
• durable power of attorney (DER·ebel POW·er ov a·TERN·ee
• estate planning (es·TATE PLAN·ing)
• exordium clause (eks·ORD·ee·um)
• health care declaration (dek·la·RAY·shun)
• health care proxy (PROK·see)
• holographic will (hol·o·GRAF·ik)
• intestate share (in·TESS·tate)
• legacy (LEG·a·see)
• legatee (leg·a·TEE)
• legator (leg·a·TOR)
• living will
• medical directive (MED·i·kel der·EK·tiv)
• medical power of attorney (MED·i·kel POW·er ov a·TERN·ee)
• nuncupative will (NUN·kyoo·pay·tiv)
• personal property (PER·son·al PROP·er·tee)
• proponent (pro·PO·nent)
• real property (reel PROP·er·tee)
• right-to-die laws
• soundness of mind
• springing power (SPRING·ing POW·er)
• subscribe (sub·SKRIBE)
• surrogate (SER·o·get)
• testament (TES·te·ment)
• testamentary capacity (test·e·MEN·ter·ee ka·PAS·e·tee)
• testamentary disposition (test·e·MEN·ter·ee dis·po·ZI·shun)
• testate (TES·tate)
• testator (tes·tay·TOR)
• testatrix (tes·tay·TRIX)
• Uniform Probate Code (UPC) (YOON·i·form PRO·bate kode)
• will
• will and testament (TES·te·ment)

Revocation, Lapses, and Ademption

 

• adeemed (a·DEEMD)
• ademption (a·DEMP·shun)
• advancement (ad·VANSE·ment)
• antilapse statute (an·tee·LAPS STAT·shoot)
• codicil (KOD·i·sil)
• demonstrative legacy (de·MON·stre·tiv LEG·a·see)
• execute (EK·se·kyoot)
• extinction (eks·TINK·shun)
• general legacy (JEN·e·rel LEG·a·see)
• general pecuniary legacy (JEN·e·rel pee·KYOO·nee·er·ee LEG·a·see)
• intestate (in·TESS·tate)
• intestate succession (in·TESS·tate suk·SESH·en)
• issue (ISH·oo)
• lapsed devise (lapsd de·VIZE)
• lapsed legacy (lapsd LEG·a·see)
• pecuniary gift (pe·KYOO·nee·er·ee)
• predeceased (pre·de·SEESD)
• republishing a will (re·PUB·lish·ing)
• residuary clause (re·ZID·joo·er·ee)
• revocable (REV·e·ke·bel)
• revocation (rev·o·KA·shun)
• revoke (re·VOKE)
• satisfaction (sat·is·FAK·shun)
• simultaneous deaths (sy·mul·TAY·nee·us)
• slayer statute (SLAY·er STAT·shoot)
• specific legacy (spe·SIF·ic LEG·a·see)

 

Principal Clauses in a Will

 

• administrator (ad·MIN·is·tray·tor)
• administratrix (ad·MIN·is·tray·triks)
• attestation clause (a·tes·TAY·shun)
• bond
• conservator (kon·SER·ve·tor)
• dispositive clauses (dis·POS·a·tiv)
• domicile (DOM·i·sile)
• executor (eg·ZEK·yoo·tor)
• executrix (eg·ZEK·yoo·triks)
• exordium clause (eks·ORD·ee·um)
• fiduciary (fi·DOO·she·air·ee)
• guardian (GAR·dee·en)
• guardian ad litem (GAR·dee·en ad LY·tem)
• incorporation by reference (in·kore·per·AY·shen by REF·e·renss)
• in terrorem clause (in ter·RAW·rem)
• no-contest clause (no-KON·test)
• per capita (per KAP·i·ta)
• per stirpes (per STIR·peez)
• publication clause (pub·li·KAY·shun)
• residuary clause (re·ZID·joo·er·ee)
• residuary estate (re·ZID·joo·er·ee es·TATE)
• self-proving affidavit (a·fi·DAY·vit)
• signature clause (SIG·na·cher)
• surety (SHOOR·e·tee)
• testimonium clause (tes·ti·MOH·nee·um)
• trustee (trus·TEE)

Disinheritance and Intestacy

 

• adoption (a·DOP·shun)
• adoptive parents (a·DOP·tiv)
• affiliation proceedings (a·fil·ee·AY·shun pro·SEED·ings)
• bastards (BAS·terds)
• collateral relatives (ko·LAT·er·el REL·e·tivs)
• coparceners (koh·PAR·se·ners)
• coverture (KUV·er·cher)
• curtesy (KUR·te·see)
• decedent (de·SEE·dent)
• degree of kindred (de·GREE ov KIN·dred)
• descendants (de·SEN·dents)
• descent (de·SENT)
• distribution (dis·tre·BYOO·shun)
• dower (DOW·er)
• elective share (e·LEK·tiv)
• escheat (es·CHEET)
• forced heir (forssd air)
• forced share
• full age (ayj)
• half-blood
• homestead (HOME·sted)
• illegitimate children (il·e·JIT·i·met CHIL·dren)
• intestacy (in·TESS·te·see)
• intestate (in·TESS·tate)
• intestate succession (in·TESS·tate suk·SESH·en)
• kindred (KIN·dred)
• legal fiction (LEE·gul FIK·shun)
• life estate (es·TATE)
• lineal ascendants (LIN·ee·el a·SEN·dents)
• lineal descendants (LIN·ee·el de·SEN·dents)
• majority (ma·JAW·ri·tee)
• next friend
• next of kin
• nonmarital children (non·MAR·i·tel)
• paternity proceeding (pa·TERN·i·tee pro·SEED·ing)
• pretermitted child (pre·ter·MIT·ed)
• primogeniture (pry·mo·JEN·e·cher)
• probated (PRO·bate·ed)
• vested (VES·ted)
• waive a spouse’s will (SPOW·sez)

 

Personal Representative of the Estate

 

• administrator (ad·MIN·is·tray·tor)
• administrator ad litem (ad LY·tem)
• administrator c.t.a.
• administrator cum testamento annexo (kum tes·ta·MENT·o an·EKS·o)
• administrator d.b.n.
• administrator d.b.n.c.t.a.
• administrator de bonis non (de BO·nis non)
• administrator de bonis non cum testamento
• annexo
• administrator pendente lite (pen·DEN·tay LIE·tay)
• administrator with the will annexed (an·EKSD)
• administrator w.w.a.
• administratrix (ad·MIN·is·tray·triks)
• ancillary administrator (AN·sil·a·ree ad·MIN·is·tray·tor)
• Court of Ordinary (OR·di·ner·ee)
• executor (eg·ZEK·yoo·tor)
• executor de son tort (eg·ZEK·yoo·tor day sown tort)
• executrix (eg·ZEK·yoo·triks)
• fiduciary capacity (fi·DOO·she·air·ee ka·PASS·e·tee)
• Orphan’s Court
• personal representative (PER·son·al rep·re·ZEN·ta·tiv)
• Prerogative Court (pre·ROG·a·tiv)
• Probate and Family Court (PRO·bate)
• public administrator (PUB·lik ad·MIN·is·tray·tor)
• special administrator (SPESH·el ad·MIN·is·tray·tor)
• successor personal representatives (suk·SESS·or PER·son·al rep·re·ZEN·ta·tiv)
• summary administration (SUM·e·ree ad·min·is·TRAY·shun)
• Surrogate’s Court (SER·o·gets)
• voluntary administrator (VOL·en·ter·ee ad·MIN·is·tray·tor)
• will contest

 

Settling an Estate

 

• bond
• burden of proof (BER·den)
• decree (de·KREE)
• estate tax (es·TATE)
• fiduciary (fi·DOO·she·air·ee)
• first and final account (a·KOWNT)
• gifts causa mortis (KAWS·ah MORE·tes)
• gifts made in contemplation of death (kon·tem·PLAY·shun)
• gift tax
• gross estate (es·TATE)
• heir (air)
• heirs at law (airs)
• inheritance tax (in·HER·i·tense)
• inter vivos (IN·ter VY·vose)
• inventory (IN·ven·tor·ee)
• judgment (JUJ·ment)
• letters of administration (ad·min·is·TRAY·shun)
• letters testamentary (test·e·MEN·ter·ee)
• marital deduction (MAR·i·tal de·DUK·shun)
• proponent (pro·PO·nent)
• sponge tax (spunj taks)
• sureties (SHOOR·e·tees)

 

Trusts

 

• A–B trust
• beneficial title (ben·e·FISH·el TY·tel)
• beneficiary (ben·e·FISH·ee·air·ee)
• bypass trust (BY·pass)
• cestui que trust (SES·twee kay)
• charitable remainder annuity trust (CRAT) (CHAR·i·ta·bel re·MANE·der a·NYOO·i·tee)
• charitable remainder trust (CHAR·i·ta·bel re·MANE·der)
• charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) (CHAR·i·ta·bel re·MANE·der YOO·nee·trust)
• charitable trust (CHAR·i·ta·bel)
• constructive trust (kon·STRUK·tiv)
• conveyance in trust (kon·VAY·enss)
• corpus (KOR·pus)
• credit-shelter trust (Kred·et-SHEL·ter)
• Crummey powers (KRUM·ee)
• cy pres doctrine (sy pray DOK·trin)
• declaration of trust (dek·la·RAY·shun)
• discretionary trust (dis·KRE·shun·air·ee)
• donor (doh·NOR)
• equitable title (EK·wit·a·bel TY·tel)
• exemption equivalent trust (eg·ZEMP·shun)
• grantor (gran·TOR)
• implied trust (im·PLIDE)
• inter vivos trust (IN·ter VY·vose)
• irrevocable living trust (ir·REV·e·ke·bel)
• legal title (LEE·gul TY·tel)
• living trust
• marital deduction (MAR·i·tal de·DUK·shun)
• marital deduction trust
• pour-over trust (pore-O·ver)
• precatory trust (PREK·a·tore·ee)
• public trust (PUB·lik)
• qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust (KWAH·li·fide TERM·in·a·bel IN·trest PROP·er·tee)
• resulting trust (re·ZULT·ing)
• revocable living trust (REV·e·ke·bel)
• rule against perpetuities (per·pe·TYOO·i·teez)
• settlor (set·LOR)
• spendthrift (SPEND·thrift)
• spendthrift trust
• spray trust
• sprinkling trust (SPRINK·ling)
• testamentary trust (test·e·MEN·ter·ee)
• Totten trust (TOT·en)
• trust
• trust deed
• trustee (trus·TEE)
• trust fund
• trust indenture (in·DEN·cher)
• trustor (trus·TOR)
• trust principal (PRIN·se·pel)
• trust property (PROP·er·tee)
• trust res (reyz)