In legal terms, “stirpes” refers to a method of distributing an estate to the descendants of a deceased person, typically in a will or through intestate succession. When assets are distributed per stirpes, each branch of the family receives an equal share of the estate, with the share of any deceased beneficiary passing to their descendants. This means that the descendants of a deceased beneficiary inherit their share, ensuring that the estate is distributed down through the family lines. Per stirpes distribution is commonly used in estate planning to ensure that descendants receive their rightful share of an estate, even if the original beneficiary is deceased.
A term used in wills that refers to descendants of a common ancestor or branch of a family.
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This glossary post was last updated: 29th March 2024.
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