A skip person refers to a family member that someone gifts or bequests assets to, that is two or more generations younger than them. This term arose when, prior to the generation-skipping transfer tax, wealthy individuals passed their wealth...
property law
slayer rule
In trusts and estates law, the slayer rule says that a murderer cannot retain a property interest in their victim’s estate. The slayer rule allows courts to presume the murderer disclaims their property interest, and therefore behave as though the...
small entity
Under U.S. patent law, the fees to be paid to the patent office (USPTO) depend on the applicant’s status. For the purposes of paying patent fees, 37 CFR 1.27, explains that to qualify as a small entity, one must either be:
An...small estate
Small estate is a classification of estates with limited value that can go through shorter probate or avoid probate completely. Probate can be a long and very expensive process for all parties involved. States created small estate...
sound recording
Under the Copyright Act, a sound recording is defined as a work consisting of a series of musical, spoken, or other sounds, fixed in a tangible medium (e.g. a disk, tape, or phonorecord). However, the sounds accompanying a motion picture or...
specific bequest
Specific bequest refers to any specific property given to individuals in a will. The key to this phrase is that the property is unmistakable and the intended recipient is also without question. For example, John bequeathed his house at 123...
spendthrift clause
A spendthrift clause refers to a clause creating a spendthrift trust which limits the ability of assets to be reached by the beneficiary or their creditors. A spendthrift trust usually requires the trustee to only give a certain amount of...
spite fence
A spite fence is a fence (whether a division fence or otherwise) built maliciously, with the sole purpose or intent of annoying, injuring, or spiting an adjoining owner (commonly a neighbor). For example, a spite fence might block the...
spot zoning
Spot zoning refers to when a piece of property or groups of property have special zoning laws applied to them that differ from the zoning laws surrounding them. The practice of spot zoning can be very controversial and may be illegal. Some...
spousal share
Spousal share (also called forced, elective, or statutory share) refers to the amount state laws entitle a spouse to after their spouse passes regardless of what is in a will. Spousal shares prevent spouses from changing the amount through a...