In testaments, the will of the testator should be liberally construed.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) Courts should give the broadest and most liberal reading to a testator's will, favoring validity over technicality, so that the testator's true wishes are carried out.

Where this applies

• A testator's will uses clumsy language to describe a bequest, and the court reads it broadly to give effect to his obvious intent rather than void the gift on a technicality.
• A will leaves property to my dear friend without specifying which friend, and the court examines the testator's life and relationships to honor his likely intent.
• A grandmother's handwritten will contains misspellings and unclear grammar, but the court gives it a liberal construction to carry out her wishes rather than striking the bequests.