What Happens If Someone Dies Without a Will

According to the ancient sayings, death, and tax are the old two things which are certain. Irrespective of the fact that people pay taxes every year, they forget to plan for their own deaths. Maybe the major reason for this is the fear that people have over death. Here is a survey that reveals that a large population of Americans dies without planning for even their estate. This means that their property will have no sense of direction in case they pass away unexpectedly. Here are some tips of what happens when people die without writing a will.

The main hint of what happens when people die without writing a will is dependent on where they live. When such a person dies, he will be termed as an intestate. When this happens, their estates are usually left under the custody of a probate court. It is essential to find out what the law states when the deceased’s properties are left without a will by taking time to read more here. You must, however, take note that laws taking care of such cases varies from one state to the other.

The second tip of what happens when a person dies without writing a will depend on what he or she leaves behind. The size of the possessions left behind will determine the severity of the law. For instance, small estates fall in the category of people who died without any property and their total possessions are usually less than $100,000. This is a practical scenario that happens to senior people who may have sold all their wealth to cater for medical bills. A similar scenario is also true to a young citizen who may have not accumulated any wealth. Under this circumstance, remaining members of the family are advised to file a declaration claiming this property for their own use. In instances where the deceased left no heir, claimants must support their relationships via an affidavit. This website explains the process of dealing with cases of people who pass away and leave homes and other assets whose worth exceeds $100,000 becomes complex.

The survivors are another determinant of what happens when a person dies without a will. Laws governing such cases will be determined depending on whether the person left behind a wife, domestic partner or a number of surviving children. What is usually used here to subdivide this property is the law of hierarchy. The first person that can be considered is the spouse. Absence of the spouse gives children a high chance of inheriting this property. It is worth reading to discover more how the law applies in the relationship hierarchy of the deceased person. You may continue reading here and learn more.