On Friday, July 28th, attorney Candice Joy explains the terms in a Will.

Tangible personal property means your things-car, clothes, pictures etc.

Residuary estate means anything that hasn’t already been dealt with in the Will.

Remote contingent beneficiaries are when you have already addressed those you want as beneficiaries and if they do not survive you then your remote contingent beneficiaries. This could be a charity or distant family or friends.

Portability means using your spouse’s estate tax exemption.

Per stirpes describes how assets pass. If they are distributed to your children per stirpes, then they are distributed evenly and if one of the children predeceases you, then their share will evenly split among their children.

Severability says that anything in the Will made invalid by law only invalidates that provision and not the entire Will.

Power of appointment is often more seen when there is a trust in the Will. You can appoint assets to specific people.

Personal representative (a more commonly used term in Maryland) is the executor who will handle the estate.

The ancillary estate is any asset outside of the state you reside in to handle that property.

A testator or testatrix is the person who made the Will.

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