Disclaimer

Why the tables are a reference and not legal advice.

InheritByState shows public intestacy law for reference only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. The tables summarize statutes; they are not the statutes themselves, and they do not replace reading the code that governs an estate.

Intestate laws are amended by state legislatures and interpreted by courts. A summary on this site could be out of date or contain an error, and an error here could cost an heir their share. That risk is why every row carries a source citation and a review year, and why the site repeats the same instruction: verify with the current state probate code or an attorney before you act.

Do not use the tables to make a final decision about a real estate, account, or business. For that, consult the probate court or a licensed probate attorney in the state that applies. The reference is a map, not the territory, and a map can be a year behind the road.

When a will exists, the will controls and intestacy rules step aside. This reference only applies when there is no valid will, or when a will fails for part of an estate. If you are unsure whether a document counts as a will, that question is for a probate court, not for a table on the internet.