Wisconsin Code § 854.04

Representation; per stirpes; modified per stirpes; per capita at each generation; per capita
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this section
(1) BY
REPRESENTATION OR PER STIRPES. (a) Except as provided in
subs. (5) and (6), if a statute or a governing instrument calls for
property to be distributed to the issue or descendants of a designated person “by representation,” “by right of representation,” or
“per stirpes,” the property is divided into equal shares for the designated person’s surviving children and for the designated person’s deceased children who left surviving issue. Each surviving
child and each deceased child who left surviving issue are allocated one share.
(b) The share of each deceased child allocated a share under
par. (a) is divided among that person’s issue in the same manner
as under par. (a), repeating until the property is fully allocated
among surviving issue.
(2) MODIFIED PER STIRPES. (a) Except as provided in subs.
(5) and (6), if a statute or a governing instrument calls for property to be distributed to the issue or descendants of a designated
person by “modified per stirpes”, the property is divided into
equal shares at the generation nearest to the designated person
that contains one or more surviving issue. Each survivor and
each deceased person in that same generation who left surviving
issue are allocated one share.
(b) The share of each deceased person allocated a share in par.
(a) is divided among that person’s issue in the same manner as
under par. (a), repeating until the property is fully allocated.
(3) PER CAPITA AT EACH GENERATION. (a) Except as provided in subs. (5) and (6), if a statute or a governing instrument
calls for property to be distributed to the issue or descendants of
a designated person “per capita at each generation,” the property
is divided into equal shares at the generation nearest to the designated person that contains one or more surviving issue. Each survivor in that generation and each deceased person in that generation who left surviving issue are allocated one share. The shares
of the deceased persons in that same generation who left surviving issue are combined for allocation under par. (b).
(b) The combined share created under par. (a) is divided
among the surviving issue of the persons whose shares were combined in the same manner as under par. (a), as though all of those
issue were the issue of one person. The process is repeated until
the property is fully allocated.
(4) PER CAPITA. Except as provided in sub. (6), if a statute or
governing instrument calls for property to be distributed to a
group or class “per capita”, the property is divided into as many
shares as there are surviving members of the group or class, and
each member is allocated one share.
(5) CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS DISREGARDED. For the purposes
of subs. (1) to (3), all of the following apply:
(a) An individual who is deceased and who left no surviving
issue is disregarded.
(b) An individual who has a surviving ancestor who is an issue of the designated person is not allocated a share.
(6) CONTRARY INTENT. If the transfer is made under a governing instrument and the person who executed the governing instrument had an intent contrary to any provision in this section,
then that provision is not applicable to the transfer. Extrinsic evidence may be used to construe the intent.

‹ Prev All Wisconsin sections Next ›


Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.