Legal Definitions - ascertained

Definition: "Ascertained" means something is found out with certainty, it is used after the "ascertain" is finished. "Ascertain" means to make certain; to establish with certainty, by the finding and judgment or decree of the court.

First, "ascertained" could be used to express that a particular individual that holds a future interest is alive and may be identified. For example, if a person's will states that their property will go to their grandchildren when they turn 25, the grandchildren are unascertained until they reach that age and can be identified.

Second, "ascertained" could also be used to express that something has already been established with certainty. For example, the act by which a widow's share in her deceased husband's real estate is ascertained and set apart to her. This means that the court has determined how much of the property the widow is entitled to and has set it aside for her.

These examples illustrate how "ascertained" is used to indicate that something has been definitively established or identified.