Bequest

The act of leaving some form of property to another person through the use of a will. This should not be confused with receiving property through a will. Bequests usually only include personal property that is left behind for another person as opposed to real property. Bequests can take several forms and are usually interpreted during the probate process. A conditional bequest lays forth a condition that must exist at the time the will is executed for a bequest to be granted. If a person were to say John can have the car if he has graduated, it is considered a conditional bequest. An executory bequest occurs when a will states that a bequest will be given only if something occurs in the future. If a will says John will get the car whenever he graduates, this is an executory bequest.