The Law Dictionary for Everyone
The term legatee refers to any person or entity that receives an inheritance from a will. This would include anyone from long, lost relatives, to a charitable foundation — essentially anyone, or any entity, to whom the person making the will chose to leave his assets. To explore this concept, consider the following legatee definition. Definition of Legatee Pronounced leg-uh-tee […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Riggs v. Palmer, New York Court of Appeals, (1889) Case summary for Riggs v. Palmer: Francis Palmer executed a will, leaving his estate to his daughter and grandson. Palmer’s grandson, Elmer Palmer, poisoned Palmer to death and was later convicted of his murder. Palmer’s daughters brought a claim requesting the court to find Elmer’s […]
Read moreWhile all adults have the right to refuse potentially life-prolonging treatments in the face of death, it is illegal in most states for them to intentionally end their lives. Death with Dignity act is based on a growing movement in the United States, which believes that a terminally ill person should have the right to decide when, where, and how […]
Read moreProbate is the legal process of transferring a person’s property to beneficiaries or heirs after death. The customs and laws concerning probate have changed significantly over time, but the intention remains the same: to identify, sort out, and distribute a deceased person’s property. To explore this concept, consider the following probate definition. Definition of Probate Noun The official proving of […]
Read moreThe legal term conservatorship refers to the appointment of a guardian to manage the affairs of an individual who is physically or mentally unable to care for himself. A conservator is appointed by the court, and may be appointed to manage only the individual’s financial affairs, or to manage the individual’s “person,” seeing to the activities and needs of daily […]
Read moreGuardianship is a legal relationship established by the court in which a person is given legal authority over another person when he or she is unable to make safe and sound decisions regarding his or her person, or property. Legal guardianships commonly involve minor children, but may also be ordered for developmentally disabled adults, or incapacitated adults. To explore this […]
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