Legal Definitions - legacy

Legacy is a gift of personal property that someone leaves in their will after they die. It's important to note that a legacy is not a priority over the debts that the person who died may have owed. There are different types of legacies:

• Specific legacy: This is when the gift is a specific object or part of the estate of the person who died. For example, a specific legacy could be a piece of jewelry or a painting.
• General legacy: This is when the gift can come from any of the assets of the person who died. For example, a general legacy could be a sum of money.
• Demonstrative legacy: This is a general legacy that will be paid from a specific fund from the person who died. For example, a demonstrative legacy could be a sum of money that will be paid from the sale of a specific property.

It's important to note that a legacy is different from a devise, which is a gift of real property through a will. However, the terms legacy and devise can sometimes be used interchangeably depending on the context and the intent of the person who made the will.

For example, if someone leaves a specific legacy of their car to their niece in their will, the niece will receive the car after the person dies. If someone leaves a general legacy of $10,000 to their favorite charity, the charity will receive the money from any of the assets of the person who died. If someone leaves a demonstrative legacy of $5,000 to their grandchild from the sale of their vacation home, the grandchild will receive the money from the sale of the vacation home.