Administrator- A person or institution appointed by a court to act on behalf of the deceased person in connection with the administration of a decedent's estate.

Administrator with Will Annexed (for Administrator CTA)- An administrator appointed by a court to act on behalf of the deceased person who left a will, but where no nominated executor is willing and able to act.

Beneficiary- The individual or corporation who receives the benefit of a transaction.

Conservator- The individual or corporation who legally has charge of the care and management of the person, property, or both of an adult who is unable to provide for his own personal needs or who is substantially unable to manage his financial affairs. Limited conservatorships may be established for developmentally disabled adults.

Contingent Beneficiary- One to whom distribution is dependent upon the occurrence of an event.

Devisees and Legates- Persons named by a decedent in his Will. A bequest or devise generally refers to real property and a legacy of money or personal property.

Executor- The individual or corporation appointed in a Will by a testator to take care of the testator's property after his death. Also called a personal representative.

Ex Parte- A judicial proceeding granted without notice.

Guardian- The individual or corporation who legally has charge of the care and management of the person, property, or both, of a child during his/her minority.

Heir- The person who inherits property under state law.

Irrevocable Trust- A trust who terms and provisions cannot be changed, modified, altered, amended, or revoked.

Personal Representative- This term describes an executor or administrator.

Power of Appointment- The actual power of legal authority given by the trust or will of one person, the "donor" of the power, to a second person, the "done" of the power, which enables the second person to designate the manner of disposing of the property. A power of appointment may be general or special.

Pour-over will -  A will that provides for the transfer, after or during the probate court proceedings, of all or part of the net assets of a decedent's probate estate from the executor's control to the control  of a trustee who is in charge of a trust that was in existence immediately before the death of the deceased person (inter vivos trust)

Probate Administration- The legal process whereby a probate court supervises the marshalling of a deceased person's debts and taxes and orders the property distributed according to decedent's will, or in its absence, to the deceased person's heirs. The probate court has jurisdiction over the personal representative and the decedent's assets.

Real Property- An interest in land or property permanently affixed to land.

Revocable Trust- A trust whose terms and provisions can be changed, modified, altered, amended, or revoked

Settlor- Another word for grantor or trustor of a trust. The person who "settles" the assets into the trust.

Tenancy In Common- A form of holding title to real or personal property by two or more persons. Because there is no right of survivorship, the legal relationships and results are very different from joint tenancy. 

Testate- Refers to someone who dies leaving a Will.

Trust- A legal entity established either during a trustor's lifetime (inter vivos) or at his death (testamentary). The trust must have a trustee, a beneficiary, and a "corpus" or property  subjected to the trust.