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People Involved in Making a Will

Legal Terms Explained

Furley Page lawyers and tax specialists will advise and guide you through the drafting of your Will, simplifying the whole process.  But sometimes it can be helpful to have something to refer to and we hope you find our jargon buster useful.  For further information on making a Will, please contact our Wills and Succession Planning team.

Administrator, Administratrix (f)  :  A person who is appointed by the courts to administer a deceased person's estate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; usually where there is no will or they are not named in the will. 
Beneficiary  :  A beneficiary is a person or organisation entitled to benefit from, a Will, intestacy or trust.
Bereaved minor  : A person who is aged under 18 and at least one of whose parents or step-parents has died.
Civil partner  :  A person who has formed a civil partnership with someone else.
Civil partnership  :  The legal relationship existing between two civil partners who have registered their partnership in accordance with the Civil Partnership Act 2004, which came into force on 5 December 2005.
Cohabitee  :  Someone living with another person who is either not married to them, or not in a registered civil partnership with them.
Deceased  :  The person who has died.
Donor  :  A person who makes a gift of some of their assets.
Donee  :  A person who receives a gift.
Executor,  Executrix (f) :  A person who administers a deceased person's estate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is named in the Will. 
Guardians  :  People you nominate to look after your children.  You do not have to nominate guardians when making a Will, but it is a useful time to do so.  
Issue : Children or remoter issue of the deceased.
Lessee  :  A person to whom a lease is granted.
Lessor  :  A person who grants a lease.
Life tenant  :  A person who holds a life interest in settled property.
Nominee  :  A person who holds property on behalf of another.
Personal Applicant  :  A person who is applying for a grant of representation without the help of a solicitor or other agent.
Personal Representative  :  A person who administers a deceased person's estate. If there is a Will and the personal representative is named in it they are known as an executor. If there is no Will, or they are appointed by the court, they are known as an administrator.
Remainderman  :  The person who takes the capital of an Estate on the death of the life tenant.
Remoter Issue  :  Grandchildren, great-grandchildren (and so-on) of the deceased.
Settlor  :  person who puts property into a trust. For inheritance tax purposes a settlor is the person who makes a settlement or who directly or indirectly provides the assets for a settlement.
Spouse  :  A person who is legally married to someone else.
Successor  :  The person entitled to the beneficial interest passing under a devise of freehold or leasehold property.
Surviving civil partner  :  A person whose civil partnership has ended through the death of their civil partner.
Testator, Testatrix (f)  :  A person who has made a Will.
Trustee  :  The person who holds the legal title to settled property and who is obliged to deal with the property for the benefit of the beneficiaries.
Witness  :  A Will is not valid unless it is signed in a certain way.  Where we draw up your Will, we recommend that you arrange to see us to sign it so that we can ensure all is done correctly.  No beneficiary (or their spouse) should sign the Will and act as a witness; if they do, any gift to them or their spouse will be invalid.

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