Heir

Introduction to Heir

Heir, in popular usage, any person succeeding to an estate, whether of real property or of personal property, either by will or by intestacy. In English common law, an heir (or heir at law) is one who succeeds only to real property, by intestacy and not by will. In the statutory law of many states of the U.S., the term heir still has this meaning. In most states it is generally construed to mean a successor by intestacy to both real and personal property. The various state statutes specify in detail the person or persons who will succeed to a decedent’s estate if no will exists. In Scotland the heir at law also inherits some or all of the movable property of the dead person. In England the term heir apparent is applied to a child who will be heir on the death of her or his parent; the term heir presumptive is applied to a person who will be heir of a second person, barring the birth of a closer relative of that second person.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Heir in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Heir