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Many married couples in Arizona think that if one of them dies without a will, the other will inherit everything from the deceased spouse.  That is only true in Arizona if the deceased spouse was not survived by descendants from another relationship.  Whether you intend to or not, if you fail to do some kind of estate planning, you could end up disinheriting your spouse to some extent.

Many married couples in Tennessee think that if one of them dies without a will, the other will inherit everything from the deceased spouse. That is only true if the deceased spouse died with no living descendants. Whether you intend to or not, if you fail to do some kind of estate planning, you could end up disinheriting your spouse to some extent.

Many married couples in Colorado think that if one of them dies without a will, the other will inherit everything from the deceased spouse. That is only true if the deceased spouse died with no surviving parents and no surviving descendants from another relationship. Whether you intend to or not, if you fail to do some kind of estate planning, you could end up disinheriting your spouse to some extent.

Many married couples in Alaska think that if one of them dies without a will, the other will inherit everything from the deceased spouse. That is only true if the deceased spouse died with no surviving parents and no surviving descendants from another relationship. Whether you intend to or not, if you fail to do some kind of estate planning, you could end up disinheriting your spouse to some extent.

Many married couples in Arizona think that if one of them dies without a will, the other will inherit everything from the deceased spouse. That is indeed true most of the time but it is not true if the deceased spouse has children from a previous relationship. Whether you intend to or not, if you fail to do some kind of estate planning, you could end up disinheriting your spouse to some extent.

Many married couples in California think that if one of them dies without a will, the other will inherit everything from the deceased spouse. That is only true if the deceased spouse had no separate property or no surviving parents or children. Whether you intend to or not, if you fail to do some kind of estate planning, you could end up disinheriting your spouse to some extent.

I often get asked who inherits if someone dies without a will.  This is called dying "intestate", and there are laws that specify who inherits.  The persons that inherit are called "heirs at law".  This post covers who inherits if a person domiciled in Tennessee dies without a will.  State laws v...

There are some steps to follow if there appears to be no will. If a parent passes away and didn't leave a will or you can't locate one, things do not have to be too difficult. There are a few steps people need to take, if they find themselves in this situation, according to Forbes...

If you don't have an estate plan but do have minor children, it can become complicated. Most parents would choose to have their estate pass to their children, if they do not have a formal estate plan.  However, if those children are minor, some challenges can arise, according to My San Antonio...

If a loved one passes away without a will and you handle the estate, you should know what steps to take. If a relative dies without a will and you are chosen to distribute assets to family members, you will most likely find it is not a simple process, according to the Napa Valley Register...

Two institutions fought over rights to his journals, notes and letters. After a heated dispute, the Ransom Center matched Yale University's $2.7 million offer to archive Arthur Miller's work, according to The New York Times in "Inside the Battle for Arthur Miller's Archive."

Just what does an estate plan give you and your family? Many people do not think carefully about the laws of intestate succession and how their assets would be distributed, so an estate plan can be really beneficial, according to an Investopedia article.

A woman passed away in 2009 entirely unknown. She had no known heirs or estate plan. However, the value of her amateur photography has now sparked a copyright battle.

When someone dies without a will, relatives turn to state law, which provides a list of people who are eligible to fill the role of executor. If a probate court proceeding is necessary, the court will choose someone based on that priority list.

If you do not have a will or estate plan, the courts in your state of residence will decide where your assets go and that may not be to your spouse or children. If you believe you do not need a will or estate plan and that your family will receive your assets when you pass away, you may may very well be mistaken.