Discover what happens when someone dies without a will, and about intestate succession, the probate process, and how state laws determine asset distribution.

Learn how probate validates a will, settles debts, and distributes assets to heirs under court supervision. and how state intestacy laws work when there's no will.

Probate Initiation: An interested party, often a family member or creditor, petitions the probate court to open an intestate estate. Appointment of Administrator: The court appoints an administrator ...

Probate is the court procedure of proving a will after someone (the decedent) who has completed his or her last will and testament dies. If you have a will and pass away, you have passed away testate ...

Financial planning means giving thought to how you want to manage your investments and other assets during your lifetime. But it also means taking a longer view and considering what will happen to ...

Grace is Money editor at Which?, on the hunt for ways to help people save with smart tips and deals. She was named personal finance journalist of the year 2025. When someone dies without a will, their ...

The probate process in Pennsylvania varies based upon whether an individual dies having a Last Will and Testament. If someone dies having executed a valid Will that was in existence at the time of ...