what does per stirpes mean in a trust
Per stirpes Per stirpes (/pɜːr ˈstɜːrpiːz/; "by branch") is a legal term from Latin. An estate of a decedent is distributed per stirpes if each branch of the family is to receive an equal share of an estate. When the heir in the first generation of a branch predeceased the decedent, the share that would have been given to the heir would be distributed among the heir's issue in equal shares. It may also be known as right of representation distribution, and differs from distribution per capita, as members of the same generation may inherit different amounts.[1]