widow's election
Also found in: Legal.
widow's election
In some states a widow may claim a portion of her husband's estate,even if she is intentionally excluded from his will. Normally it is the amount she would take by statute if the husband had died intestate—without a will.
The Complete Real Estate Encyclopedia by Denise L. Evans, JD & O. William Evans, JD. Copyright © 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.