Learn how probate validates a will, settles debts, and distributes assets to heirs under court supervision. and how state intestacy laws work when there's no will.

Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and ...

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Charlene Rhinehart is a CPA , CFE, chair of an Illinois CPA Society committee, and has a ...

When someone dies without a will, you may feel unsure about who receives their property or how decisions are made. The rules called **intestate succession** decide who inherits, and they rely on ...

Financial planning means giving thought to how you want to manage your investments and other assets during your lifetime. But it also means taking a longer view and considering what will happen to ...

Probate Initiation: An interested party, often a family member or creditor, petitions the probate court to open an intestate estate. Appointment of Administrator: The court appoints an administrator ...

What really happens without a will in place Dying without a will means state laws decide who inherits your assets — not you. Probate courts follow intestacy rules to distribute property, often ...

Grace is Money editor at Which?, on the hunt for ways to help people save with smart tips and deals. She was named personal finance journalist of the year 2025. When someone dies without a will, their ...

If you die without a valid Will you will have died intestate. In these circumstances the estate must be distributed according to the laws of intestacy which set out a statutory set of rules which ...