Dan, a widower, dies intestate, leaving two surviving children, Joe and Carrie, and two grandchildren who are children of his deceased daughter, Debra.If Joe and Carrie each take one-third of his estate and the grandchildren each take one-sixth of the estate, this is described legally by the statement that:

Question

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This is an example of the principle of per stirpes, which means that each branch of the family receives an equal share of the inheritance at the first level of descendants, but if any of the primary beneficiaries have predeceased, their share is divided equally among their own children. In this case, Dan's two surviving children each take one-third of the estate, and the grandchildren of his deceased daughter share the remaining one-third equally between them. This division is made per stirpes, with each branch of the family receiving an equal share of the inheritance at the first level of descendants.

Dan, a Widower, Dies Intestate, Leaving Two Surviving Children, Joe