By representation, distribution of a beneficiary's share to the heirs of a beneficiary, if the beneficiary has predeceased the testator.

• A. Per capita
• B. Per stirpes
• C. Fiduciary
• D. Executor

Answer: (B)

Per stirpes distribution means distributing the share of a beneficiary who dies before the testator to that beneficiary's descendants by representation, rather than to the surviving members of the first generation.

In this approach, the portion that would have gone to the predeceased beneficiary is handed down to their heirs. For example, if the will leaves equal shares to two children and one child dies before the testator but leaves two grandchildren, the deceased child’s share is divided equally between those grandchildren. The surviving child’s own share remains as allocated.

This preserves the intended allocation through the family line, rather than taking the predeceased beneficiary’s portion and redistributing it among the surviving first-generation beneficiaries. Fiduciary or executor refers to roles in managing the estate, not a method of distribution, and per capita describes a different approach to dividing shares.