{"id":409,"date":"2013-10-16T14:28:26","date_gmt":"2013-10-16T14:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/arizona-estate-planning\/?p=409"},"modified":"2022-06-16T16:24:18","modified_gmt":"2022-06-16T16:24:18","slug":"what-happens-if-you-dont-have-a-will","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/arizona-estate-planning\/blog\/what-happens-if-you-dont-have-a-will\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens If You Don\u2019t Have a Will"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>All too often, individuals die before making a will and estate plan. Even if you don\u2019t have children, a large estate, or a spouse, it is important to have a will that designates what happens to your property after your death. Most people understand that they need a will, but never take the time to create one, leaving the courts to decide who gets what when someone dies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the consequences for those individuals?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When someone dies without a will or some other legal method to transfer property when one dies, state law will determine what happens to his or her property. In Arizona, this is called \u201c<strong>intestate succession<\/strong>.\u201d Intestate succession laws affect only assets that would have passed through your will. Usually, that includes assets that you own alone, in your name.<\/p>\n<p>Generally, these assets will go to the spouse or children, or if there is neither, a close relative. If no relatives can be found to inherit the property, it will go to the state. Also, if no will has been created, a court will decide who will care for young children and their property if the other parent is unavailable or unfit to do so.<\/p>\n<p>In Arizona, if someone is part of a same-sex relationship, the surviving partner will not inherit anything because Arizona doesn\u2019t recognize same-sex marriage.<\/p>\n<p>Typically, property distribution (without a will) depends on whether one is married or single, and whether you or your spouse has any children.<\/p>\n<p>Nolo provides a visual on scenarios of who would inherit what if no will was in place. See below:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/arizona-estate-planning\/files\/2013\/10\/Screen-shot-2013-10-16-at-7.21.59-AM.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-410\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/arizona-estate-planning\/files\/2013\/10\/Screen-shot-2013-10-16-at-7.21.59-AM.png\" alt=\"Arizona no will inheritances\" width=\"724\" height=\"421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/arizona-estate-planning\/files\/2013\/10\/Screen-shot-2013-10-16-at-7.21.59-AM.png 724w, https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/arizona-estate-planning\/files\/2013\/10\/Screen-shot-2013-10-16-at-7.21.59-AM-300x174.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 724px) 100vw, 724px\" \/><\/a>If you are interested in creating a simple will in Arizona, speak to our Estate Planning attorney today.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Call Arizona Estate Attorney Dave Weed at <a href=\"tel:4804674325\">(480)467-4325<\/a> to discuss your case today.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All too often, individuals die before making a will and estate plan. Even if you don\u2019t have children, a large estate, or a spouse, it is important to have a will that designates what happens to your property after your death. Most people understand that they need a will, but never take the time to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - 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