LawMeaning

Ademption by Satisfaction

In one sentence

A gift during life counts toward reducing what a beneficiary receives from a will.

Plain English

When someone makes a specific gift in their will but gives the same or similar gift to that person while alive, the gift given during life may satisfy (or reduce) what they receive from the will. For example, if a parent promises their child a car in the will but buys them a car before dying, the child might not get an additional car from the estate. Courts look at whether the person intended the lifetime gift to count toward the will gift.

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Example

A grandmother's will states she will leave her granddaughter $50,000. Before dying, the grandmother gives the granddaughter $50,000 to help with college. The granddaughter may receive nothing additional from the estate because the lifetime gift satisfied the promise in the will.

Used in a sentence

“The court ruled that the cash gift made before death constituted an ademption by satisfaction of the bequest in the will.”

Related terms

Lapse
An offer that expires because a deadline passes or too much time has gone by.
Testamentary Capacity
The legal and mental ability required to make a valid will or trust.
Holographic Will
A will written entirely in the testator's own handwriting without witnesses.
Voidable
A contract that is valid unless and until one party chooses to cancel it.
Reformation
A court rewrites contract terms to match what both parties actually intended.
Assignment
Transferring your contract rights to someone else.
Probate
The court process of validating a will and distributing a deceased person's estate.
Intestate Succession
The legal process of distributing a deceased person's property when they leave no valid will.

This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney.