What happens to a person's estate if they die intestate?

When a person dies intestate, it means that they have not left a valid will directing how their estate should be distributed upon their death. In such cases, the distribution of the estate is governed by the intestacy laws of the state in which the deceased was domiciled.

These laws provide a framework for how the estate is to be allocated among surviving family members, including spouses, children, and potentially other relatives. The priority and portion of the estate that each heir receives is determined by these statutory provisions, which are specifically designed to address situations where a decedent has not expressed their wishes through a will.

The other options presented do not accurately reflect what occurs in intestate succession. A person’s estate cannot be distributed according to a nonexistent will, cannot simply be donated to charity outside of existing legal directives, and is not divided among friends unless they fall under the statutory criteria set by intestate laws. Thus, the correct understanding of intestacy aligns solely with the distribution based on the law of succession.