That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get something. [1] Beneficiary – a person entitled to any part or all of an estate. In general an heir is a person that is entitled to inherit from the deceased. A devisee is a person that is given a gift under a will. Both are ways to describe someone that would be entitled to a gift under the will. Historically speaking, a “devisee" is someone who receives real property (as opposed to personal property) from an estate. [2] Legatee – a person designated by a will to receive a transfer of personal property. Heirs are supposed to be notified of a death regardless of whether they are receiving something. As nouns the difference between devisee and heir is that devisee is (legal) the person or entity to whom property is devised in a will while heir is someone who inherits, or is designated to inherit, the property of another. Because a Will outlines the instructions of the decedent, it can completely overlook an heir and give everything to anyone named in … In modern times, though, a devisee usually refers to anyone who receives property by being named in a decedent's will whether they are related or not—such as a friend, as described above. Devisee is a related term of heir. A “devisee” is a person designated in a Will to receive a devise, which is a disposition of real or personal property made under a Will. A legatee may be a business, charitable organization or other agency; some states refer to a legatee as a "devisee." Without seeing the actual wording of the document it is hard … [3] Heir Considerations The blood relatives of a person's predeceased spouse or his stepchildren may be the heirs to his estate if he dies without leaving a will, depending on state law. An “heir” is a person, including the surviving spouse, who is entitled to property of a decedent under Arizona’s law of intestate succession. Distributee – a person entitled to take or share in the property of a decedent who died without a will.