Legal Definitions - all the estate I own

In a will, the phrase "all the estate I own" refers to all property and possessions a person holds at the exact moment of their death. This means it includes any assets acquired after the will was written and excludes any assets disposed of before death.

The phrase "all the estate I own" is a legal term sometimes found in a will. It refers to all the assets and property a person possesses at the exact moment of their death, rather than what they owned when the will was originally written.

This distinction is crucial because a person's financial situation and property holdings can change significantly over time. Using this phrase ensures that the will covers everything the deceased owned at their final moment, reflecting their most current estate.

• Example 1: Acquisition of New Assets

  Maria drafted her will in 2005, stating that "all the estate I own" should be divided equally among her three children. In 2015, she inherited a valuable art collection from her sister and purchased a vacation home. She passed away in 2023.

  How this illustrates the term: Because the will specifies "all the estate I own," the art collection and the vacation home—which Maria acquired *after* writing her will but *before* her death—would be included in her estate and distributed to her children. The will automatically accounts for these newly acquired assets without needing to be updated specifically for them.

• Example 2: Disposal of Previous Assets

  John wrote his will in 2010, leaving "all the estate I own" to his favorite charity. At that time, he owned a large commercial building. Over the next decade, he sold the building and invested the proceeds into a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds. He died in 2022.

  How this illustrates the term: The phrase "all the estate I own" means that only the stock and bond portfolio, along with any other assets John possessed *at the time of his death*, would go to the charity. The commercial building, which he no longer owned when he died, would not be part of the estate, even though he owned it when the will was initially drafted.