If there are no heirs listed in a will, how are potential heirs notified?
If there are no heirs listed in a will, how are potential heirs notified? Assistant at Law Assistant at Parklin Law When someone dies without listing any heirs in their will, their estate will be referred to as "Intestate." This means that if you have previously been notified of the person's death and have not heard anything from the lawyer, it is likely that they died intestate. Intestate succession includes laws in place to distribute property to any children or parents of the deceased. If none are found, then the property is left to other family members or friends. If no one can be found, then these assets become part of the state's coffers. A lawyer and/or executor will need to locate all family members through a series of investigations. Once the family is located, each heir will be notified that they may make a claim on the estate. If no heirs are located, the estate is transferred to the government and the funds are used for public works. An estate administrat...