What happens when you die intestate?

What happens when you die intestate?

Attorney Gadi Zohar explains:

When you die intestate, it means that you died without a will or a trust.

The state has a set plan for your assets. That’s considered the most common anticipated direction that people would want to go with distributing their assets. So first, for example, if you have a spouse, your spouse might be first in line for inheriting your assets. You have children. They’ll be at the front of the linealso, and so on depending on who the survivors are.

Essentially, intestate succession is the state’s estate plan for you if you don’t have one. That’s why it’s important to have a living trust or a will in order to make sure that your assets are administered as you would want.

However, if you’re in the position of having to administer the estate of someone who has already died without a will or trust, you should contact an experienced probate attorney to help guide you through the process of intestate succession.