ADEMPTION

ademption  (<<schwa>>-demp-sh<<schwa>>n),  n.  Wills  &  estates.  The  destruction  or

extinction of a testamentary gift by reason of a bequeathed asset’s ceasing to be part of the estate

at the time of the testator’s death; a beneficiary’s forfeiture of a legacy or bequest that is no longer

operative. • There are two theories of ademption. Under the identity theory of ademption, a devise

of a specific piece of property will fail if that property is not a part of the testator’s estate upon his

or her death. Under the intent theory of ademption, by contrast, when a specific devise is no longer

in the testator’s estate at the time of his or her death, the devisee will receive a gift of equal value

if it can be  proved that the testator  did  not intend the  gift to be adeemed.  The intent theory  has

been codified in § 2-606  of the 1990 Uniform  Probate Code. —  Also termed extinguishment of

legacy.  Cf.  ABATEMENT;  ADVANCEMENT(4);  LAPSE(2).  [Cases:  Wills    764–771.  C.J.S.

Wills §§ 1742–1761, 1770–1773.] — adeem (<<schwa>>-deem), vb. — adeemed, adempted,adj.

ademption  by  extinction.An  ademption  that  occurs  because  the  unique  property  that  is  the

subject  of  a  specific  bequest  has  been  sold,  given  away,  or  destroyed,  or  is  not  otherwise  in

existence at the time of the testator’s death. [Cases: Wills    767–768. C.J.S. Wills §§ 1749–1761.]

ademption  by  satisfaction.An  ademption  that  occurs  because  the  testator,  while  alive,  has

already given property to the beneficiary in lieu of the testamentary gift. [Cases: Wills    766. C.J.S.

Wills §§ 1743–1744, 1753.] [Blacks Law 8th]