Wisconsin Code § 854.21

Persons included in family groups or classes
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(1) ADOPTED PERSONS. (a) Except as provided in sub. (7), a gift
of property by a governing instrument to a class of persons described as “issue,” “lawful issue,” “children,” “grandchildren,”
“descendants,” “heirs,” “heirs of the body,” “next of kin,” “distributees,” or the like includes a person adopted by a person
whose birth child would be a member of the class, and issue of
the adopted person, if the conditions for membership in the class
are otherwise satisfied and at least one of the criteria under s.
854.20 (1) (b) 1., 2., and 3. is satisfied.
(b) Except as provided in sub. (7), a gift of property by a governing instrument to a class of persons described as “issue,” “lawful issue,” “children,” “grandchildren,” “descendants,” “heirs,”
“heirs of the body,” “next of kin,” “distributees,” or the like excludes a birth child and his or her issue otherwise within the class
if the birth child has been adopted and would cease to be treated
as a child of the birth parent under s. 854.20 (2).
(2) INDIVIDUALS BORN TO UNMARRIED PARENTS. (a) Subject to par. (b) and sub. (7), individuals born to unmarried parents
are included in class gifts and other terms of relationship in accordance with s. 852.05.
(b) In addition to the requirements of par. (a) and subject to
the provisions of sub. (7), in construing a disposition by a transferor who is not the birth parent, an individual born to unmarried
parents is not considered to be the child of a birth parent unless
that individual lived while a minor as a regular member of the
household of that birth parent or of that birth parent’s parent,
brother, sister, spouse or surviving spouse.
(3) RELATIVES BY MARRIAGE. Subject to sub. (7), terms of
family relationship in statutes or governing instruments that do
not differentiate between relationships by blood and relationships
by marriage are construed to exclude relatives by marriage.
(4) RELATIVES OF THE HALF-BLOOD. Subject to sub. (7),
terms of family relationship in statutes or governing instruments
that do not differentiate between relationships by the half-blood
and relationships by the full-blood are construed to include both
types of relationships.
(5) POSTHUMOUS ISSUE. Subject to sub. (7), if a statute or
governing instrument transfers an interest to a group of persons
described as a class, such as “issue”, “children”, “nephews and
nieces” or any other class, a person conceived at the time the
membership in the class is determined and subsequently born
alive is entitled to take as a member of the class if that person otherwise satisfies the conditions for class membership and survives
at least 120 hours past birth.
(6) PERSON RELATED THROUGH 2 LINES. Subject to sub. (7),
a person who is eligible to be a transferee under a statute or governing instrument through 2 lines of relationship is limited to one
share, based on the relationship that entitles the person to the
larger share.
(7) 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 inapplicable to the transfer. Extrinsic evidence may be used to construe the intent.

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