What happens to an estate if there is no will and no immediate family?
What happens to an estate if there is no will and no immediate family? Min Austria Assistant at Ascent Law LLC Intestate succession is a term used to describe what happens when a person dies without a valid last will and testament. In other words, intestate succession is what happens when someone dies without leaving a will. The first thing that happens after someone dies without a valid last will and testament is that the court issues an order of appointment. This order gives someone the authority to take care of all the legal details surrounding the estate. A small commission is paid to this person for the work they do. The person who issues the order is called the probate judge. The court appoints an individual or company named either as executor or administrator of the decedent’s estate (if there are assets). The probate judge also names an attorney who acts as special administrator or executor ad litem.(This is not mandatory but can be preferred as they have expertise on this matt...