Dying Without a Will: Why Intestacy Laws Might Not Work for Your Family

ESTATE PLANNING ESSENTIALS

By: Justin J. Wall, Esq.

Trusts & Estates Attorney

Utah and Arizona

Most people don’t plan to die without a will. It’s not something they intend—it’s just something that happens. Life gets busy. Kids, work, parents, bills. Thinking about what happens after you’re gone isn’t fun, and let’s be honest: estate planning doesn’t exactly scream “urgent.” But when someone passes away without a plan, their family is left holding the pieces—and that’s when intestacy kicks in.

Intestacy is the legal term for what happens when someone dies without a valid will or trust. And while it sounds like a dry technicality, the reality is anything but. Without a plan, state law takes over and decides who gets what, who’s in charge, and what the process looks like. That might sound fine in theory—until you realize how little those default rules reflect what most people actually want.

Let’s talk about what intestacy really means, what it looks like in real life, and how a simple estate plan can spare your loved ones from a long, stressful mess.

What Is Intestacy, Really?

When we say someone “died intestate,” we just mean they passed away without a valid will or trust in place. Maybe they meant to make one. Maybe they wrote down some wishes or talked about their intentions with family. But if it’s not legally binding, it doesn’t count.

Each state has its own laws that kick in when this happens. These laws decide who inherits your property and who has the right to manage your estate. The system is designed to be a kind of safety net—a default plan for people who never got around to writing their own. But it’s a generic safety net. By definition, it doesn’t take things like your values, your family, or your relationships into account.

And there’s something else to keep in mind. People who die without a will have usually skipped other parts of estate planning too—like naming someone to make financial or medical decisions if they become seriously ill or injured. More on that in a minute. For now, let’s focus on what happens after someone passes away without a plan in place.

Who Actually Inherits When There’s No Will?

One of the more common assumptions I hear is, “Everything will just go to my spouse,” or “My kids will split it evenly—I’m not worried.” And in some cases, that’s true. But not always - and that can't reliably be predicted in advance. Even when the family functions well during your life, intestacy can still create serious problems at death—not just in who inherits, but also in how they inherit.

That’s the piece most people miss.

For homeowners, dying without a will all but guarantees your estate will go through probate—a court process that decides who's in charge, who gets what, and when. Probate can be slow, expensive, and public. If you don’t leave a valid plan, absent available small estate options, your estate will likely go through probate, even if your estate is relatively simple.

Even when it’s clear who the heirs are, the probate process still takes time. Your family may have to wait months—or even years—before everything is sorted out. The court has to appoint someone to take charge, creditors must be invited to make claims, and assets can be tied up in the system far longer than most people expect.

And here’s where it really catches people off guard: even if your heirs are obvious, you don’t get to choose who handles everything. The court will appoint a personal representative—sometimes called an executor—based on a legal order of priority. If no family member qualifies or steps forward, a creditor can petition to serve. That means someone you owe money to could end up managing your entire estate. Not exactly the kind of oversight most people want.

And if there’s any disagreement among family members—or if someone feels overlooked—things can get especially messy.

That’s what makes intestacy a widespread problem. It’s not just a concern for blended families, estranged relatives, or unmarried partners (though those scenarios do highlight how unfair the default rules can be). It’s about what happens when the law tries to apply a one-size-fits-all solution to a situation that really needs a personal, case-by-case approach.

Even the person who ends up in charge of your estate—called your personal representative or your executor—might not be who you’d want. And in the absence of clear direction, the court follows a set list. If no family member qualifies or steps forward, creditors can even petition to take over. That’s not exactly comforting.

So while some families might get lucky and end up with the “right” people inheriting, nobody gets to skip the court process. That’s why intestacy isn’t just a risk for unusual family structures—it’s a problem for anyone who wants to spare their loved ones unnecessary stress.

What Does Intestacy Look Like in Real Life?

Let’s break it down with a few examples—because this stuff hits harder when you see what it actually means for families.

Imagine a couple who’s been living together for 20 years. They own a home, share bills, and see each other as life partners. But they never married, and the house is only in one person’s name. If that person dies without a will, the surviving partner doesn’t get the house. It goes to the deceased’s closest legal relatives—maybe children from a prior relationship, maybe a sibling they haven’t spoken to in years. The surviving partner could be forced to move out of the home they’ve lived in for decades.

Or picture a blended family. A father dies without a will. The only major asset in the estate is the family home. Although the specifics will differ from state to state, generally speaking his wife and children from a prior marriage now co-own the home. She may have to sell it to buy out their share—or stay put while they inherit equity she can’t access. It's an awkward setup, and a common source of resentment.

Now think about a single parent with two minor kids. They die unexpectedly without a plan. The court has to appoint a guardian for the children—and it may not be who the parent would have chosen. Meanwhile, any money left behind goes into a specialized account managed by a fiduciary until the children turn 18. At that point, they get everything outright. No strings. No guidance. No safeguards. Just a lump sum on their 18th birthday, whether they’re ready for it or not, whether it's in their best interests or not.

And all of these situations still go through probate. Even in states like Utah and Arizona, where the process can be less formal, probate is often slow, frustrating, and more expensive than people expect. It’s a public process that can delay access to important assets, increase the emotional toll on your family, and create unnecessary opportunities for conflict—all because there wasn’t a clear plan in place.

Why Intestacy Rarely Matches What You Would Have Wanted

The default laws that apply when someone dies without a plan were designed to be simple, not personal. They apply the same rules to everyone, regardless of their family history, dynamics, or actual wishes.

That generic approach often leads to confusion and frustration. The law says one thing, but the family expected something else. And that gap can create conflict—siblings fighting over who gets what, stepparents and adult children clashing, or long-lost relatives suddenly appearing with claims for the estate.

Even in well-meaning families, intestacy can stir up hard feelings. Someone might feel overlooked. Another might feel burdened. The expense of probate usually exceeds what would have been the expense of a valid Trust-based estate plan, a burden passed down to the children. And because there was no clear direction, people are left guessing at what the deceased “would have wanted.”

The result? Stress, resentment, and sometimes, costly legal battles. Disputes that could’ve been avoided with a simple estate plan end up tearing families apart. Not because the law is cruel or careless—after all, society needs something to deal with intestate estates—but because the person who should have made a plan put it off until it was too late. And that silence leaves their loved ones to sort through the confusion and figure it all out.

And What If You Become Incapacitated?

Here’s a piece of the puzzle that people don’t always think about: intestacy usually means no estate planning was done at all. That doesn’t just affect what happens after death—it also creates a serious risk during life.

It starts slowly. You forget names, misplace bills, miss a few appointments. At first it’s manageable, but over time, the gaps grow. Your doctor finally gives it a name: dementia. Decisions need to be made—about your care, your home, your money. You’ve worked hard your whole life, saved diligently. But now you’re past the point where you can legally sign anything. You're no longer allowed to make financial or medical decisions for yourself.

Your spouse calls the bank to access a retirement account to help pay for a memory care facility. They say no—her name isn’t on it. Your adult son wants to speak with your doctor about treatment options. They won’t give him any information. Everyone in the family is ready to help, but no one has legal authority to do anything.

So now, in the middle of a medical crisis, your loved ones have to go to court. They have to petition a judge for permission to take care of you—just to pay your bills, move you into care, or make basic health decisions. It’s expensive. It’s slow. And it’s emotionally exhausting. What should’ve been a time to pull together becomes a bureaucratic tangle of paperwork, hearings, and legal fees—all because the right documents weren’t in place when they were needed most.

This isn’t just a worst-case scenario—it’s something that plays out in courts every single day. When a person can no longer manage their affairs, and no legal documents are in place, the only option is for loved ones to file for guardianship (to make medical decisions) or conservatorship (to manage finances). These are formal legal proceedings that require evidence, court approval, and ongoing reporting. And while your family may be acting out of love, the court sees them as petitioners, not caregivers.

This kind of situation isn’t unusual. It happens quietly, in families all over the country, every single day. When someone loses the ability to manage their own affairs, the legal system steps in—not out of cruelty, but because there’s no clear direction left behind. That’s when loved ones have to ask the court for permission through a process called guardianship (for medical decisions) or conservatorship (for finances). It’s not impossible to navigate—but it is something most families would rather avoid.

This is sometimes called a “living probate,” and it can be just as stressful as the probate process after death. It’s especially dangerous if you need long-term care. Without advance planning, your assets might have to be spent down completely before you qualify for government programs like Medicaid. That can leave your family with very few options.

What About Minor Children or Loved Ones With Special Needs?

Let’s say you have young children and no will. If something happens to you, the court will have to decide who becomes their legal guardian. That decision might not reflect your values or relationships. It might even trigger conflict between relatives who disagree on what’s best for the kids.

Financially, it’s no better. A minor child who inherits under intestacy laws will get their share of the estate when they turn 18, no matter how large that amount is or whether they’re prepared to manage it. There are no built-in safeguards to protect them from poor decisions—or from people looking to take advantage.

And what if you have a child or grandchild with a disability who relies on Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)? If they inherit directly under intestacy, that inheritance is treated as an available resource effective upon the decedent’s death. Even if it takes time for the paperwork to catch up, eligibility for benefits is often lost before the court is ever involved. And once those benefits stop, getting them reinstated can take months—or even years. If you've died intestate, it's too late to set up a simple plan that would prevent disqualification from benefits. A first-party SNT (a much more restrictive, expensive, and complex device) would then be necessary just to maintain benefits.

With the right tools in place, like a supplemental needs trust, you can leave an inheritance that supports your disabled loved one without disrupting the programs they depend on. But again, it only works if you’ve taken the time to plan.

So How Do You Avoid All This?

Avoiding intestacy isn’t complicated—and it doesn’t require a mountain of paperwork or a fortune in legal fees. It starts with a valid will or trust that clearly outlines who should receive your assets, who should be in charge, and how things should be handled.

You should also make sure your beneficiary designations are up to date on things like retirement accounts and life insurance policies. Those assets pass outside of probate and won’t be covered by your will unless something goes wrong. Likewise, using tools like joint ownership or transfer-on-death deeds can help keep a simple estate out of probate and away from the default intestacy rules.

And don’t forget about powers of attorney—for both finances and healthcare. These documents are what protect you during life, if you’re ever unable to make decisions for yourself.

The best approach is to work with an experienced estate planning attorney who can tailor a plan to fit your unique situation. Templates and DIY kits might seem convenient, but they can leave dangerous gaps that you won’t know about until it’s too late.

Final Thoughts: Why a Simple Plan Is Better Than No Plan

Here’s the bottom line: you don’t need to be rich to need an estate plan. You just need people you care about—and a desire to make things easier for them.

Intestacy puts your legacy in the hands of a legal system that doesn’t know you. But a simple estate plan puts you back in control. It gives your family clarity, spares them unnecessary stress, and ensures your wishes are actually followed.

So if you haven’t made a plan yet, don’t wait. The conversation might feel uncomfortable, but the peace of mind is worth it. You don’t need to solve everything today—but taking that first step is one of the most powerful gifts you can give your family. Schedule your appointment today to get started.