Heirs are supposed to be notified of a death regardless of whether they are receiving something. A “devisee” is a person designated in a Will to receive a devise, which is a disposition of real or personal property made under a Will. A legatee may be a business, charitable organization or other agency; some states refer to a legatee as a "devisee." [3] A devisee is a person that is given a gift under a will. An “heir” is a person, including the surviving spouse, who is entitled to property of a decedent under Arizona’s law of intestate succession. In modern times, though, a devisee usually refers to anyone who receives property by being named in a decedent's will whether they are related or not—such as a friend, as described above. In general an heir is a person that is entitled to inherit from the deceased. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get something. Because a Will outlines the instructions of the decedent, it can completely overlook an heir and give everything to anyone named in … [1] Beneficiary – a person entitled to any part or all of an estate. Devisee is a related term of heir. Both are ways to describe someone that would be entitled to a gift under the will. [2] Legatee – a person designated by a will to receive a transfer of personal property. Historically speaking, a “devisee" is someone who receives real property (as opposed to personal property) from an estate. Without seeing the actual wording of the document it is hard … Heir Considerations The blood relatives of a person's predeceased spouse or his stepchildren may be the heirs to his estate if he dies without leaving a will, depending on state law. Distributee – a person entitled to take or share in the property of a decedent who died without a will. As nouns the difference between devisee and heir is that devisee is (legal) the person or entity to whom property is devised in a will while heir is someone who inherits, or is designated to inherit, the property of another.