Testate means ...

Testate means ...

• A. to die with a valid will
• B. with no will
• C. one who inherits real estate under a will
• D. A deed that transfers ownership

Answer: (A)

Testate means dying with a valid will in place that directs how the decedent’s property should be distributed after death. This term describes the state of the deceased, not the act of inheriting or any particular instrument. In practice, a testate decedent’s will goes through probate, and real estate is transferred to the people named in the will according to its terms. This differs from dying without a will—intestate—where state law determines who inherits and who administers the estate. The idea of inheriting real estate under a will refers to the beneficiary or devisee, not the decedent’s status, and a deed that transfers ownership is a separate document, not a description of the decedent’s status.

Testate means dying with a valid will in place that directs how the decedent’s property should be distributed after death. This term describes the state of the deceased, not the act of inheriting or any particular instrument. In practice, a testate decedent’s will goes through probate, and real estate is transferred to the people named in the will according to its terms. This differs from dying without a will—intestate—where state law determines who inherits and who administers the estate. The idea of inheriting real estate under a will refers to the beneficiary or devisee, not the decedent’s status, and a deed that transfers ownership is a separate document, not a description of the decedent’s status.