Legal Definitions - testation

Definition: Testation (te-stay-shən) refers to the act of disposing of property through a will. It also refers to the power to dispose of property through a will. In archaic usage, it refers to attestation or witnessing.

• John's testation included leaving his house to his daughter and his car to his son.
• Without testation, the state will determine how your property is distributed after your death.
• The lawyer asked for testation from the witnesses to the signing of the will.

The first example illustrates the first definition of testation, where John disposed of his property through a will. The second example shows the importance of testation, as without it, the state will decide how your property is distributed. The third example shows the archaic usage of testation, where the lawyer asked for attestation or witnessing from the witnesses to the signing of the will.