Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE) Practice Exam

The term "decedent" specifically refers to a person who has passed away. In legal contexts, this term is commonly used in matters related to estates, wills, and probate. When someone dies, their estate is often managed according to the laws that govern what happens to their assets and liabilities, and the person who has died is referred to as the decedent throughout these proceedings.

The other choices refer to completely different legal contexts. A person who is legally incompetent relates to an individual who is unable to make decisions for themselves due to mental incapacity, which has no direct connection to death. Declaring bankruptcy deals with an individual's financial situation and insolvency, while a person entitled to an inheritance pertains to those who may receive assets from a decedent's estate, but does not define the status of the decedent themselves. Therefore, the correct understanding aligns clearly with the specific legal definition of a decedent as someone who has died.