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This guide has been written using as little legal language as possible, but you may find an explanation of the most frequently used words and phrases useful:
Someone who receives a gift from the will of a person who has died.
A sum of money left to someone through a will. Also used as another word for legacy.
A valid legal amendment to a will.
The term for any type of will which provides a fallback situation in case of the early death of one or all of the beneficiaries. (For instance, a man may leave everything to his wife, but if his wife dies before him then her gifts could be passed on to someone else.)
The amount a person owns at the time of their death, after their debts have been paid.
A person who is named in a will to carry out the instructions that have been set. The executor can be a beneficiary.
A person's legal situation if they die without making a will.
Something left in a will.
A gift through a will - made in the form of a specified sum of money.
A share of the remainder of an estate after all other payments and gifts have been made.
A specific item such as a piece of jewellery or property.
A person who makes a will.
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