Transferring real estate title through a will is called a devise. A devisor is the deceased party who uses a will to transfer the property, while the devisee is the to whom the property is being transferred. Devisees are more commonly referred to as the beneficiary.
When Property is Transferred
While alive, the testator has the right to make amendments to his or her will by way of a document called a codicil. The property remains the possession of the testator until his or her death, at which point the property gets transferred to a devisee. A devisee has no control of the property until the devisor dies.
