What governs the distribution of an estate when there is no will?

• A. Intestate
• B. Testatrix
• C. Laws of intestate succession
• D. Beneficiary

Answer: (C)

When there is no will, the estate is distributed according to the laws of intestate succession. These statutes fill the gap left by an absence of instructions from the deceased, determining who inherits based on family relationships and statutory shares. In most places, the distribution starts with spouses and children, then moves to parents, siblings, and more distant relatives if no closer heirs exist. The idea is to provide a predictable, orderly transfer to heirs when there is no testament guiding the process. The other terms aren’t the governing rule here: dying without a will is described as intestate, a testatrix is someone who makes a will, and a beneficiary is a person who would receive assets under a will or trust, not the law that governs distribution when there is no will.