Simple English definitions for legal terms
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An heir portioner is someone who inherits a part of a person's property or money when they die. In Scotland, it can refer to a female heir who inherits an equal share of an estate when there are no male heirs. It can also refer to someone who owns a small fee or a minister who serves a benefice with others. In history, it was used to describe hereditary portions.
Definition: An heir portioner is a person who inherits a portion of a decedent's estate, usually in the absence of male heirs. In Scottish law, it refers to one of two or more female heirs who inherit equal shares of an estate. It can also refer to the proprietor of a small fee or a minister who serves a benefice with others.
These examples illustrate how an heir portioner can inherit a portion of an estate, either as a female heir or as the proprietor of a small fee. In the case of a minister serving a benefice with others, they may be called a portioner because they only receive a portion of the tithes or allowance that a vicar commonly has out of a rectory or impropriation.