Explain a Mirror Will.

Explain a Mirror Will.

• A. Each testator is the beneficiary of each other's residency estate. They have identical provisions.
• B. A will that mirrors a previous will but with different executors.
• C. A will that is created after a joint life insurance policy.
• D. A will that is revocable and subject to changes.

Answer: (A)

A mirror will is a pair of wills that are essentially identical in terms and provisions, created by spouses so that each person’s will reflects the other. The idea is that the surviving spouse receives the first-death’s estate and, upon the survivor’s death, the remainder passes to the same beneficiaries in the same way. This reciprocal, symmetrical setup is what defines a mirror will. The best choice captures that by stating that each testator is the beneficiary of the other’s residuary estate and that the provisions are identical. It highlights the mutual, mirror-like structure: both wills mirror each other and both name the other spouse as the initial beneficiary, with the same ultimate beneficiaries for the residuary estate. Other options miss that core feature. One describes mirroring with different executors, which is not the defining aspect—executors can vary, but the key is the mirrored terms and reciprocal benefit. A will tied to a joint life insurance policy or a revocable-will characteristic doesn’t convey the mirrored, reciprocal arrangement that makes a will a mirror will.

A mirror will is a pair of wills that are essentially identical in terms and provisions, created by spouses so that each person’s will reflects the other. The idea is that the surviving spouse receives the first-death’s estate and, upon the survivor’s death, the remainder passes to the same beneficiaries in the same way. This reciprocal, symmetrical setup is what defines a mirror will.

The best choice captures that by stating that each testator is the beneficiary of the other’s residuary estate and that the provisions are identical. It highlights the mutual, mirror-like structure: both wills mirror each other and both name the other spouse as the initial beneficiary, with the same ultimate beneficiaries for the residuary estate.

Other options miss that core feature. One describes mirroring with different executors, which is not the defining aspect—executors can vary, but the key is the mirrored terms and reciprocal benefit. A will tied to a joint life insurance policy or a revocable-will characteristic doesn’t convey the mirrored, reciprocal arrangement that makes a will a mirror will.