A plain-language definition, not a conclusion about a document or case. Read the term in its full legal context.
Plain-English meaning
Per Stirpes
A distribution method under which a deceased beneficiary's branch of the family may take that beneficiary's share by representation.
Why the term matters
It determines how a gift moves down family lines when a named person dies before distribution.
Do not confuse it with
Per stirpes, per capita, and by-representation formulas can produce different shares and are not interchangeable labels.