Primary Beneficiaries, Generally

A primary beneficiary is any person or entity that you want to receive a testamentary gift without having to outlive anyone else.

For Example:
Married couples with children often name their spouse as the only primary beneficiary of the residuary estate, with their children named as the alternate beneficiaries.

Generally, any eligible primary beneficiary who survives the testator will receive the designated gift.  However, any surviving beneficiary may also generally disclaim the intended gift, causing it to pass as though he or she had predeceased the testator.

See: Primary Beneficiaries, Eligibility; Primary Beneficiaries, Deceased; Alternate Beneficiaries, Generally