Intestacy

The legal term which refers to the state of dying without a valid will.  A person who dies without a valid will is said to be "intestate".

This term is also used to refer to all of the property that could be controlled by a will, but which is not controlled or disposed of by a valid will, such as "intestate estate" or "intestate property."  All such property is controlled by the appropriate state's intestacy laws.

In contrast, a person who owns a valid will at the time of death is said to be "testate."

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