Estate planning involves many legal terms that can be unfamiliar. Here's a plain-English glossary to help you understand the key concepts.
Administrator: The person appointed to manage an estate when there is no Will (or no executor is named). They must apply for a Grant of Letters of Administration. Attestation: The act of witnessing a signature on a legal document such as a Will.
Beneficiary: A person or organisation who receives something under a Will or trust. Bequest: A gift of personal property (not land) left in a Will. Also called a legacy. Chattels: Personal possessions such as furniture, jewellery, and vehicles — as opposed to money or property.
Codicil: A document that makes minor changes to an existing Will without replacing it. Must be signed and witnessed in the same way as a Will. Cohabiting partner: An unmarried partner who lives with someone — they have no automatic inheritance rights under UK law.
Deed of Variation: A legal document that changes the distribution of an estate after someone has died. Must be completed within two years of death and agreed by all affected beneficiaries. Domicile: The country or territory you consider your permanent home, which affects inheritance tax and succession law.
Estate: The total of everything a person owns at the time of their death, minus any debts. Executor: The person named in a Will to carry out its instructions and administer the estate. Fiduciary: Someone who manages another person's money or property and must act in their best interest.
Grant of Probate: The legal document issued by the court confirming the executor's authority to deal with the estate. Guardian: A person appointed in a Will to care for minor children if both parents die. Intestacy: When someone dies without a valid Will.
Legacy: A gift left in a Will — can be a specific item (specific legacy), a sum of money (pecuniary legacy), or a share of the estate (residuary legacy). Letters of Administration: The court document given to administrators when there is no Will.
Nil-rate band: The IHT threshold (£325,000 in 2026) below which no Inheritance Tax is payable. Power of Attorney: A legal document authorising someone to act on your behalf. Residuary estate: What's left of an estate after specific gifts, debts, and expenses have been paid.
Settlor: The person who creates a trust. Testator/Testatrix: The person making a Will (male/female). Trustee: A person appointed to manage a trust for the benefit of the beneficiaries.
At Castle Family Legal, we always explain things in plain English. If you have questions about any legal term, don't hesitate to contact us.
