See: Special needs trust
[Last updated in June of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]
family & personal matters
surrogate
A surrogate is a person acting on behalf of someone else or as a substitute. A woman who gives birth to the child of another woman, who is unable to conceive a child on her own, is referred to as a surrogate mother. In the judicial context,...
surviving spouse
Surviving spouse is either spouse who outlives the other spouse, including widows and widowers. The term is commonly found in laws relating to estate taxation, probate, estate administration, etc.
[Last updated in September...
surviving spouse's trust
Surviving spouse’s trust refers to the trust controlled by the living spouse in an AB trust scheme. In an AB trust, a couple plans to split their assets into two trusts to limit the estate taxes incurred by their property before being given...
survivor
A survivor refers to a person who remains alive or continues to function after experiencing an event that could have been life-threatening or significantly harmful. In a legal or financial context, a survivor is also someone who lives after...
survivors benefits
Survivors benefits are a sum of money paid to the surviving spouse and dependents of an eligible deceased worker. Beneficiaries include widows, widowers (and divorced widows and widowers), children, and dependent parents. A portion of the...
survivorship
See: Right of survivorship
[Last updated in October of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]
temporary restraining order (TRO)
Temporary restraining orders (TROs) are a type of short-term injunction issued to prevent a party from taking a certain action until the court is able to issue a more enduring order, such as a preliminary injunction. TROs are a type of...
testamentary
Testamentary is of or relating to a will or testament. The term is often used to denote that something was provided for, appointed by or created by a will.
See: testamentary capacity, testamentary power of appointment,...
testamentary capacity
Testamentary capacity refers to the ability of a person to make a valid will. Most states have both an age requirement (usually 18 years old) and a mental capacity requirement. To have mental capacity, the testator must have the ability to...