If a widow dies without a Will and is left by only a stepchild passes, who is the beneficiary to her estate?
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If a widow dies without a Will and is left by only a stepchild passes, who is the beneficiary to her estate?
Asked on July 3, 2015 under Estate Planning, Louisiana
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 9 years ago | Contributor
Was this stepchild adopted? If so, they would be her sole heir. If not, then her heir(s) would be any surviving brothers/sisters, next would be her parents, if still living and after that it would go to her nieces/nephews, etc.
When a person dies with no Will they are said to have died "intestate". Therefore the intestacy (or succession) statutes of the state in which the deceased was domiciled as of the date of their death will control how an estate is distributed. If you still have any questions regarding this situation, you can google specific state law.
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