Question about the style/precedence of siblings of peers who have inherited indirectly

[Sam Marroy]

Hey all - I have noticed somewhat frequently while reading around on Wikipedia and various other sources that folks are sometimes, but not always, granted the style and precedence of a son/daughter of a peer when a sibling inherits a title from a cousin/uncle/grandparent/etc. Was this a standard courtesy granted to pretty much everyone who found themselves in this situation, or was it granted only when someone petitioned for it, or if they had the right political connections, etc?

[marquess]

One has to petition for it. I once had a conversation with David Williamson who said that such precedence should be granted automatically once succession to the peerage has been proven. This is a position that I concur with. 

[Paul Theroff]

I've never heard of a case in which it was requested and refused, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Of course in the future fewer of those eligible will bother applying for it, since "precedence" means almost nothing these days, and fewer people who already have titles actually use them.