What Happens if I Die Without a Will?

If someone were to die without having a will in place, a common misconception that is often times mentioned is that the deceased’s assets are turned over to the State. This is completely false. Instead, state law determines who will receive the deceased’s property. Each state has a statute (the intestacy statute) that provides who the people are that are the closest relatives to the deceased, and those relative receive the deceased’s estate.
New Jersey law is as follows:

For a single person:

1. To the person’s descendants
2. If there are no descendants, to the person’s parents
3. If there are no descendants or parents, to the descendants of the person’s parents
4. If there are no descendants, parents, or descendants of parents, one-half to the paternal grandparents, or if they are also deceased, to their descendants; and the other one-half to the maternal grandparents, or their descendants
5. If there are no descendants of grandparents, to stepchildren

For a married person (spouse or domestic partner):

1. The entire estate passes to the surviving spouse, if there are no descendants or parents of the deceased.
2. If there are descendants, all of whom are also descendants of the surviving spouse, then the surviving spouse receives the entire estate.
3. If the deceased is survived by a spouse and parent(s), the spouse receive the first 25% of the estate, but not less than $50,000 nor more than $200,000, plus 75% of the balance; the parent(s) receive the remaining property of the estate.
4. If the surviving descendants are also descendants of the surviving spouse, and the surviving spouse has other descendants; or if there is a descendant of the deceased who is not a descendant of the surviving spouse, then the spouse receives the first 25% of the estate, but not less than $50,000 nor more than $200,000, plus 50% of the balance.  The descendants receive the remaining property of the estate.

Now, maybe these are the people who you would want to inherit from you. But maybe they are not. Preparing and signing a Will gives you the power of choice to benefit others – family, friends, and/or charity – rather than relinquishing that choice to the government.
There is another important issue that state law will control if a person has died without a Will: guardianship of your minor children. If a child under the age of 18 has no living parent, state law determines that the child’s closest next of kin have the first right to serve as the child’s guardian. Being the closest relative does not really qualify someone to raise a child. And, if several persons are related in the same way to the child (for example, both sets of grandparents), the Court then decides, with both sides of the family incurring legal fees as well suffering an emotional hardship. Again, it is a matter of choice – should you choose who should raise your child in the event of an untimely death, or should the government?
Preparing a Will is not something you do for you – it is something you do for your family. To ensure your loved ones are benefitted, that your children are properly cared for, and that your estate is administered at the least possible cost, please contact us as to how we can assist you in preparing a Will and other estate planning documents.