Legal Definitions - colegatee

A colegatee refers to one of two or more individuals who are designated in a will to jointly receive a specific gift or asset, known as a legacy, from the deceased person's estate. In simpler terms, if a will specifies that a particular item or sum of money is to be shared among multiple recipients, each of those recipients is considered a colegatee.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Shared Personal Property
  A will states, "I leave my collection of antique pocket watches to be shared equally between my grandson, Alex, and my granddaughter, Chloe." In this situation, Alex and Chloe are both colegatees because they are jointly receiving the same legacy—the antique pocket watch collection—as specified in the will.

• Example 2: Divided Monetary Gift
  A testator's will includes a provision that reads, "The sum of $100,000 shall be divided equally among my three closest friends: Benjamin, Olivia, and Samuel." Here, Benjamin, Olivia, and Samuel are all colegatees. They are each entitled to a portion of the $100,000 legacy, making them joint recipients of that specific monetary gift.

• Example 3: Joint Charitable Bequest
  After all specific gifts and debts are settled, a will directs that the remaining balance of the estate, known as the residuary estate, be distributed in equal shares to two environmental organizations: the "Green Earth Alliance" and the "Wildlife Preservation Fund." Both the Green Earth Alliance and the Wildlife Preservation Fund act as colegatees. They are jointly receiving the residual portion of the estate, sharing in the final distribution of assets.