Legal Definitions - natural object

A natural object (often referred to as a natural object of bounty) describes an individual whom a person would reasonably be expected to include in their will or estate plan, given the close nature and circumstances of their relationship. This concept is frequently considered in legal challenges to a will, particularly when assessing whether the person making the will understood who their primary beneficiaries should be.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Traditional Family Relationships
  An elderly woman, Mrs. Chen, has two adult children, Michael and Sophia, with whom she has always maintained a close and loving relationship. They visit her regularly, help with errands, and celebrate holidays together.

  Explanation: Michael and Sophia are Mrs. Chen's natural objects of bounty because they are her direct descendants and she has a strong, established familial bond with them. It would be a widely held expectation that she would provide for them in her will, reflecting the typical parent-child relationship.

• Example 2: Long-Term Caregiver and Companion
  Mr. Henderson, a widower with no living children, lived for the last 15 years of his life with his niece, Clara. Clara moved in to provide full-time care, manage his household, and offer companionship after his health declined significantly. She became his primary support system.

  Explanation: Despite not being his child, Clara became Mr. Henderson's natural object of bounty due to the long-standing, dependent, and caregiving relationship they shared. Her dedicated role in his life created a reasonable expectation that he would provide for her in his estate plan, even if she wasn't a direct heir.

• Example 3: Unmarried Long-Term Partners
  Sarah and Emily lived together as committed partners for 25 years, sharing all aspects of their lives, including finances, property, and mutual support, though they never legally married. They considered each other family.

  Explanation: Emily would be considered a natural object of Sarah's bounty. Even without a marriage certificate, their decades-long, mutually supportive, and intertwined relationship created a strong expectation that Sarah would provide for Emily financially after her death, reflecting the deep personal bond and shared life they built.