[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/wills-probate-glossary\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/wills-probate-glossary\/","headline":"Wills and Probate \u2013 A Glossary of Terms","name":"Wills and Probate \u2013 A Glossary of Terms","description":"Here\u2019s our guide to the jargon involved in Wills and probate with a full glossary of terms.   Administrator\u00a0\u2013 a person appointed by the Court to administer an estate where the deceased didn\u2019t leave a will or if the persons appointed to act under the will are unable or unwilling to do so.\u00a0 Beneficiary\u00a0\u2013 someone [...]","datePublished":"2020-02-18","dateModified":"2025-05-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/author\/coby\/#Person","name":"coby","url":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/author\/coby\/","identifier":17,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/095b94eeb56f604e46bfd6673afa9194.jpg","url":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/095b94eeb56f604e46bfd6673afa9194.jpg","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"AlexanderJLO London Law","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ajlo-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ajlo-logo.png","width":460,"height":275}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Wills-and-Probate-\u2013-A-Glossary-of-Terms.png","url":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Wills-and-Probate-\u2013-A-Glossary-of-Terms.png","height":853,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/wills-probate-glossary\/","about":["Blog","Private Client and Wills and Probate"],"wordCount":536,"articleBody":"Here\u2019s our guide to the jargon involved in Wills and probate with a full glossary of terms. Administrator\u00a0\u2013 a person appointed by the Court to administer an estate where the deceased didn\u2019t leave a will or if the persons appointed to act under the will are unable or unwilling to do so.\u00a0Beneficiary\u00a0\u2013 someone who inherits under a will or intestacy.\u00a0Bequest – a gift left in a Will.Codicil – a document that amends (rather than replaces) a Will. Codicils can adversely affect a will, altering, cancelling or adding provisions to it. It is therefore more common to re-write the whole Will. It must conform to the same legal requirements as the original Will (such as the signature of the testator) and have two witnesses who do not benefit from the Will in any way.Executor\u00a0\u2013 a person appointed by a Will to administer an estate.Executrix\u00a0\u2013 a female executor.Grant of Probate\u00a0\u2013 legal document confirming an executor\u2019s authority to deal with an estate.Grant of Letters of Administration\u00a0\u2013 legal document confirming an Administrators\u2019 authority to deal with an estate.Guardian\u00a0\u2013 someone appointed under a will to look after children under the age of eighteen.Inheritance Tax Threshold\u00a0\u2013 the amount above which Inheritance Tax will become due. If the value of the estate falls below this threshold (taking into account lifetime gifts etc.) no Inheritance Tax will be due.Intestacy Rules\u00a0\u2013 the formal rules laid down by statute setting out who is entitled to deal with and benefit from an estate where the deceased did not make a will.Intestate\u00a0\u2013 someone who dies without making a will. The deceased\u2019s estate will be dealt with under the Intestacy laws.Personal Representative\u00a0\u2013 person appointed to deal with an estate. If they are appointed by a Will they are known as an Executor. Where there is no will they are appointed by the Court and are known as an Administrator.Potentially exempt transfer (PET) \u2013 a gift made during one’s lifetime that is exempt from Inheritance Tax if the donor lives for seven years after making the gift.Residuary Estate\u00a0\u2013 the deceased\u2019s estate after all assets have been collected in and debts paid.Testator\/Testatrix\u00a0\u2013 person who makes a will.Trust\u00a0\u2013 where one or more people (trustees) hold property on behalf of others (beneficiaries).Will \u2013 A legal document that sets out what you want to happen to your property and the rest of your estate upon death.At Alexander JLO we have decades of experience of dealing with all aspects of law and will be happy to discuss your case in a free no obligation consultation. Why not call us on\u00a0+44 (0)20 7537 7000, email us at info@london-law.co.uk or get in touch via the contact us button and see what we can do for you?This blog was prepared by Alexander JLO\u2019s senior partner, Peter Johnson on 18th February 2020 and is correct at the time of publication. With decades of experience in almost all areas of law Peter is happy to assist with any legal issue that you have. He is widely regarded as one of London\u2019s leading lawyers. His profile on the independent Review Solicitor website can be found Here "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Wills and Probate \u2013 A Glossary of Terms","item":"https:\/\/staging.london-law.co.uk\/wills-probate-glossary\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]