A more thorough explanation:

The equitable-benefit doctrine is a principle used in bankruptcy cases. It allows a bankruptcy court to give priority to claims made by people who provided services to the estate, as long as those services benefited the estate as a whole. This means that these claims will be paid before other claims that do not meet this criteria.

For example, let's say a lawyer provided legal services to a bankrupt company during the bankruptcy proceedings. If the lawyer can show that their services benefited the estate as a whole, they may be able to make a claim for payment under the equitable-benefit doctrine. This claim would be given priority over other claims that do not meet this criteria.

Another example could be a consultant who provided advice to the company during the bankruptcy proceedings. If the consultant can show that their advice helped the estate as a whole, they may be able to make a claim for payment under the equitable-benefit doctrine.

The equitable-benefit doctrine is used to ensure that those who provide services that benefit the estate as a whole are compensated fairly. It helps to encourage people to provide these services, knowing that they will be given priority in the bankruptcy proceedings.