Inheritance Laws by State
It’s easy to assume that writing up a last will and testament is all it takes to guarantee that your assets will be distributed according to your wishes. And in most parts of the United States, that’s basically correct. However, there are a handful of states with a caveat in place that can intervene to ensure you and your partner will receive your fair share of property whenever either of you expires.
There is no one perfect system when it comes to inheritance; some may reflect a person’s actual wishes in the event of an untimely death, while others may end up superseding what they had envisioned for their assets. There are three systems of inheritance laws in the U.S. It’s important to know which ones affect your state and, thus, your will.