A life estate is measured by the life of which individual?

A life estate is a type of property interest that lasts for the duration of an individual's life. When the question specifies that it is measured by the life of a specific person, it refers to the grantee, who is the individual receiving the life estate.

In this arrangement, the grantee has the right to use and benefit from the property as long as they are alive. Upon their death, the life estate terminates, and the property typically passes to the next designated heir or reverts to the grantor or their estate, depending on the terms set forth in the granting document. Therefore, the life of the grantee is the determining factor for the duration of the life estate. This concept is foundational in real property law, distinguishing it from other forms of property interest, such as fee simple ownership, which does not terminate upon an individual's death.