**Dependent** (noun) — A person who relies on another for financial support, typically defined by law as someone who receives substantial financial assistance for necessities such as food, housing, healthcare, or education.
A dependent is someone who relies on you for their day-to-day financial needs. This usually includes your children, but it can also include elderly parents, disabled relatives, or anyone else you support financially.
In estate planning, identifying your dependents matters because they may have legal rights to claim support from your estate, even if you don't mention them in your will. Different countries have different rules about who qualifies as a dependent and what they're entitled to.
The definition often comes from tax law, but it's used in estate law too. Generally, someone is your dependent if you provide more than half of their financial support during the year.
⏱ When you'll encounter this term
When someone dies, their dependents may have special legal protections. In many jurisdictions, dependents can make a claim against the estate if the will doesn't adequately provide for them, even if the deceased deliberately left them out.
For example, if you're supporting an adult child with a disability, they may be considered your dependent. If your will leaves everything to charity and nothing to that child, they might successfully challenge the will in court. The same applies to elderly parents you've been financially supporting or a spouse who relied on your income.
Courts typically look at the actual financial relationship, not just the legal label. If someone can demonstrate they were genuinely dependent on you for their basic needs, they may have rights under family provision laws, regardless of what your will says.
**Related terms:** [Beneficiary](/dictionary/beneficiary), Family Provision Claim, [Intestate](/dictionary/intestate), [Spouse](/dictionary/spouse)
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Related Dictionary Terms
- Beneficiary
- Family Provision Claim