Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Dead man's part refers to a portion of a deceased person's estate that is set aside for various purposes. In the past, it was a custom to set aside a portion of the estate for mass services or as payment for the administrator. The portion ranged from one-third to the entire estate, depending on whether the deceased had a wife and children or not. The administrator used to apply this portion to his own use until a statute declared that it should be subject to the statute of distributions. In Scots law, dead man's part refers to the part of a dead man's personal estate that can be disposed of by will or falls upon intestacy to his next of kin.
Definition: Dead man's part refers to a portion of a deceased person's estate that is set aside for specific purposes. In the past, it was customary to set aside a portion of the estate for mass services or as payment for the administrator. The portion of the estate ranged from one-third to the entire estate, depending on whether the deceased had a spouse or children. The administrator was allowed to use this portion for their own purposes until a statute was passed to regulate its distribution.
Examples:
These examples illustrate how the dead man's part is a specific portion of a deceased person's estate that is set aside for certain purposes. It can be used for mass services, as payment for the administrator, or bequeathed by will to the deceased person's next of kin.