160:
43:
1099:
has perhaps the most complicated law of descent of distribution. Maryland's intestacy laws specify not only the distribution, but also the order of the distribution among family members. Florida's intestacy statute permits the heirs of a deceased spouse of the decedent to inherit, if the decedent has
1007:
so that fair provision can be made for a dependent spouse or other relative where the strict divisions set down in the intestacy rules would produce an unfair result, for example by providing additional support for a dependent minor or disabled child vis-a-vis an adult child who has a career and no
894:
and their descendants; if there are no descendants, the line of inheritance goes back up the family tree to the parents, the siblings, the siblings' descendants, the grandparents, the parents' siblings, and the parents' siblings' descendants, and usually so on further to the more remote degrees of
1020:
broadly follows that of
England and Wales with some variations. A notable difference is that all possible (blood) relatives can qualify for benefit (i.e. they are not limited to grandparents or their descendants). Once a class is 'exhausted', succession continues to the next line of ascendants,
720:
or other binding declaration. Alternatively this may also apply where a will or declaration has been made, but only applies to part of the estate; the remaining estate forms the "intestate estate". Intestacy law, also referred to as the
999:
when the deceased was a resident of either. In limited cases a discretionary distribution might be made by one of these bodies to persons who would otherwise be without entitlement under strict application of the rules of inheritance.
773:. In matters of cross-border inheritance, the "laws of succession" is the commonplace term covering testate and intestate estates in common law jurisdictions together with forced heirship rules typically applying in civil law and
1077:) of the estate: typically the administrator is chosen by the court having jurisdiction over the decedent's property, and is frequently (but not always) a person nominated by a majority of the decedent's heirs.
877:
jurisdictions, where the rules of succession without a will (intestate succession) play a back-up role where an individual has not (or has not fully) exercised their right to dispose of property in a will.
934:
Where there is no spouse or civil partner, the assets pass in the following order of priority, such that no-one is entitled in any lower category if there is a living person entitled in a higher one:
851:
often apply, but it is also common for the jurisdiction where the property is located to govern its disposal, regardless of the decedent's residence or domicile. In certain jurisdictions such as
1276:
1245:
1004:
930:
and the first £322,000, then half of everything else passing under the intestacy rules. The other half passes to the issue on the statutory trusts (see below).
1170:
1059:
intestacy laws vary from state to state. Each of the separate states uses its own intestacy laws to determine the ownership of residents' intestate property.
1220:
1284:
1306:
696:
1194:
923:
if there are no issue (i.e. children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren etc.) then the spouse or civil partner inherits the entire estate; or
967:
where a person who would have been entitled has predeceased the intestate, but has left issue, those issue who survive the intestate share, "
956:
half-blood uncles and aunts, or any living descendants of deceased half-aunts or half-uncles (such as half-cousins), on the statutory trusts.
1091:, the law of intestate succession has been modified significantly from the common law, and has been essentially codified. The state of
1021:
followed by siblings, and so on. In a complete absence of relatives of the whole or half-blood, the estate passes to the Crown (as
953:
full-blood uncles and aunts, or any living descendants of deceased aunts or uncles (such as cousins), on the statutory trusts; or
1062:
Attempts in the United States to make probate and intestate succession uniform from state to state, through efforts such as the
890:, the law of intestacy is patterned after the common law of descent. Property goes first or in major part to a spouse, then to
1081:
1039:
the laws vary from province to province. As in
England, most jurisdictions apply rules of intestate succession to determine
1109:
689:
519:
919:
For deaths after 1 October 2014, the rules where someone dies intestate leaving a spouse or civil partner are as follows:
1027:). The Crown has a discretion to benefit people unrelated to the intestate, e.g. those with moral claims on the estate.
107:
909:
390:
79:
1043:
who become legal heirs to the estate. Also, as in
England, if no identifiable heirs are discovered, the property may
126:
1253:
323:
682:
309:
86:
1124:
64:
613:
535:
397:
192:
151:
93:
1438:"New York Code, Estates, Powers & Trusts, Sec. 4-1.1. Descent and distribution of a decedent's estate"
964:
that a person who would be entitled if they were adult does not become entitled until they attain 18; and
827:, or given to the Church for charitable purposes. This law became obsolete as England moved from being a
31:
1357:
765:, beyond the power of the deceased person to defeat or exceed by testamentary gift. A forced share (or
243:
60:
1087:
Many states have adopted all or part of the
Uniform Probate Code, but often with local variations, In
75:
1527:
585:
316:
17:
1358:"UPC Chart (Excerpted from "Record of Passage of Uniform and Model Acts, as of September 30, 2010)"
746:
483:
53:
1522:
592:
512:
471:
185:
927:
843:
Where a person dies without leaving a will, the rules of succession of the person's place of
258:
1003:
These rules have been supplemented by the discretionary power of the court contained in the
1063:
561:
526:
439:
297:
8:
1517:
1411:
816:
762:
478:
383:
769:) can often only be decreased on account of some very specific misconduct by the forced
505:
1092:
1069:
The distribution of the property of an intestate decedent is the responsibility of the
996:
988:
844:
717:
568:
459:
365:
229:
176:
142:
100:
1437:
1485:
1467:
992:
913:
835:
society, and chattels more valuable than land were being accumulated by townspeople.
812:
790:
733:) that determines who is entitled to the property from the estate under the rules of
432:
335:
284:
815:. Real property for which no disposition had been made by will passed by the law of
1096:
781:
1540, Englishmen (and unmarried or widowed women) could dispose of their lands and
778:
427:
404:
236:
211:
1331:
1114:
754:
623:
597:
414:
358:
272:
265:
1386:"Title XXI, Courts - Probate - Juvenile, Chapter 2015, Descent and Distribution"
1023:
848:
670:
498:
466:
330:
204:
975:
Where no beneficiaries on the above list exist, the person's estate generally
895:
kinship. The operation of these laws varies from one jurisdiction to another.
1511:
1464:
Descent and distribution : intestate succession in the state of New York
1056:
984:
864:
808:
782:
580:
409:
353:
199:
1144:
1471:
887:
819:; chattel property for which no disposition had been made by testament was
713:
665:
658:
628:
251:
1040:
968:
869:
867:, entitlements arise whether or not there was a will. These are known as
856:
758:
734:
618:
573:
344:
146:
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because the concept of a will is itself less important; the doctrine of
159:
874:
832:
774:
745:
Intestacy has a limited application in those jurisdictions that follow
638:
378:
168:
980:
860:
824:
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42:
1119:
1017:
766:
730:
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1385:
1195:"Intestate Succession – Where does everything go without a Will?"
1044:
976:
820:
726:
554:
1036:
908:
The rules of succession are the
Intestacy Rules set out in the
852:
828:
798:
761:
title to a large part (forced estate) of the estate's property
1221:"Who can inherit if there is no will – the rules of intestacy"
1277:"A Comparison of the English and Scottish Rules of Intestacy"
926:
if there are issue, the spouse or civil partner receives the
891:
277:
1088:
770:
653:
1005:
Inheritance (Provision for Family and
Dependants) Act 1975
947:
half-blood brothers and sisters, on the statutory trusts;
944:
full-blood brothers and sisters, on the statutory trusts;
716:
of a person who dies without having in force a valid
30:"Intestate" redirects here. Not to be confused with
67:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1509:
1332:"25 U.S. Code § 2206 - Descent and distribution"
1246:"Guide to Discretionary Grants in Estates Cases"
1250:The Treasury Solicitor, Bona Vacantia Division
740:
690:
938:issue, on the statutory trusts (see below);
960:In the above "the statutory trusts" mean:
697:
683:
807:Common law sharply distinguished between
127:Learn how and when to remove this message
757:automatically gives a deceased person's
1466:. Albany, NY: Matthew Bender & Co.
1252:. The National Archives. Archived from
14:
1510:
1274:
1066:, have been met with limited success.
916:. c. 23) and associated legislation.
873:rights and are not typically found in
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1281:The Association of Corporate Trustees
1095:also has codified its intestacy law.
1110:Administration of an estate on death
903:
65:adding citations to reliable sources
36:
1171:"NEI Project: Wills and Testaments"
793:could formerly be disposed of by a
24:
1080:Federal law controls intestacy of
910:Administration of Estates Act 1925
25:
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1050:
1008:longer depends on their parent.
886:In most contemporary common-law
324:Acts of independent significance
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723:law of descent and distribution
614:Advance directive (Living will)
513:Hague Convention (conflict law)
52:needs additional citations for
1462:Eager, Samuel Watkins (1926).
1418:. Washington State Legislature
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1125:Uniform Simultaneous Death Act
979:(i.e. is legally assigned) to
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1:
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725:, refers to the body of law (
1492:. Maryland State Law Library
1275:Gorham, John (8 July 1999).
391:Accumulation and maintenance
193:Joint wills and mutual wills
27:Dying without leaving a will
7:
1336:Legal Information Institute
1103:
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797:, hence the hallowed legal
10:
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1416:Revised Code of Washington
1199:Pauper Planning Techniques
971:", their ancestor's share.
741:History and the common law
244:Incorporation by reference
29:
1030:
777:jurisdictions. After the
1486:"Maryland Intestacy Law"
1311:American Bar Association
1016:The law on intestacy in
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712:is the condition of the
520:Application in civil law
317:Satisfaction of legacies
1175:familyrecords.dur.ac.uk
1075:personal representative
802:last will and testament
1365:Uniform Law Commission
593:Disclaimer of interest
398:Interest in possession
186:Legal history of wills
1307:"The Probate Process"
536:Estate administration
454:Reversionary interest
259:Testamentary capacity
1338:. Cornell Law School
1151:. Cornell Law School
1064:Uniform Probate Code
859:, the U.S. state of
562:Power of appointment
527:Dishonest assistance
298:Lapse and anti-lapse
292:Property disposition
61:improve this article
1442:The New York Senate
1201:. Curnalia Law, LLC
1047:to the government.
817:kinship and descent
763:by operation of law
493:Governing doctrines
997:Duchy of Lancaster
989:Treasury Solicitor
914:15 & 16 Geo. 5
863:, and much of the
845:habitual residence
569:Simultaneous death
484:Supplemental needs
230:Attestation clause
1390:Ohio Revised Code
1256:on 3 October 2009
993:Duchy of Cornwall
928:personal chattels
904:England and Wales
791:personal property
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285:No-contest clause
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1494:. Retrieved
1490:People's Law
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373:Common types
372:
371:
366:Constructive
291:
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250:
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223:
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167:Part of the
123:
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97:
90:
83:
71:
59:Please help
54:verification
51:
1447:6 September
1422:6 September
1396:6 September
1370:6 September
1342:6 September
1316:6 September
1291:6 September
1260:6 September
1145:"Intestacy"
1041:next of kin
969:per stirpes
882:Current law
857:Switzerland
759:next-of-kin
735:inheritance
619:Blind trust
586:Advancement
574:Slayer rule
433:Spendthrift
422:Other types
76:"Intestacy"
1518:Common law
1512:Categories
1230:4 November
1180:2023-10-25
1131:References
1093:Washington
875:common law
833:mercantile
775:Sharia law
639:common law
428:Protective
405:Charitable
169:common law
87:newspapers
32:Interstate
983:(via the
981:the Crown
861:Louisiana
825:the Crown
795:testament
751:Roman law
747:civil law
727:statutory
710:Intestacy
545:Intestacy
444:Remainder
415:Incentive
359:Resulting
310:Abatement
305:Ademption
217:Oral will
18:Intestate
1205:July 15,
1120:Testator
1104:See also
1097:New York
1018:Scotland
1012:Scotland
977:escheats
941:parents;
892:children
849:domicile
813:chattels
789:. Their
767:legitime
731:case law
671:Evidence
659:Property
649:Contract
550:Testator
467:Honorary
224:Sections
1496:1 March
1472:5514327
1055:In the
1045:escheat
821:escheat
555:Probate
410:Purpose
354:Express
252:Contest
205:Codicil
152:estates
101:scholar
1470:
1037:Canada
1031:Canada
853:France
829:feudal
799:merism
714:estate
637:Other
345:Trusts
171:series
147:trusts
103:
96:
89:
82:
74:
1361:(PDF)
839:Rules
831:to a
785:by a
641:areas
278:Fraud
177:Wills
143:Wills
108:JSTOR
94:books
1498:2019
1468:OCLC
1449:2017
1424:2017
1398:2017
1372:2017
1344:2017
1318:2017
1293:2017
1262:2017
1232:2023
1207:2014
1157:2017
1089:Ohio
1073:(or
811:and
787:will
771:heir
729:and
718:will
654:Tort
379:Bare
150:and
80:news
1149:Wex
1035:In
995:or
823:to
749:or
63:by
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