Editing Intestacy (section)

{{Short description|Dying without leaving a will}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|Intestate|Interstate (disambiguation){{!}}Interstate}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2017}}
{{Wills, trusts, estates}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

'''Intestacy''' is the condition of the [[estate (law)|estate]] of a person who dies without a legally valid [[Will and testament|will]], resulting in the distribution of their estate under statutory intestacy laws rather than by their expressed wishes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Intestacy|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/intestacy|website=Wex|publisher=Cornell Law School|access-date=20 September 2017}}</ref> 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 '''law of descent and distribution''', which vary by jurisdiction, refers to the body of law ([[Statute|statutory]] and [[case law]]), establish a hierarchy for inheritance, typically prioritizing close relatives such as spouses, children, and then extended family members and determines who is entitled to the property from the estate under the rules of [[inheritance]].