Which statutes govern distribution of assets when the decedent dies intestate or without a will?

• A. Intestacy statutes
• B. Antilapse statutes
• C. Issue
• D. Statutory law

Answer: (A)

The governing rules for distributing a decedent’s assets when there is no will are the intestacy statutes. These laws specify who inherits and in what order, typically starting with a surviving spouse and children, then other close relatives, and they define the shares each category receives. They provide the default plan for asset transfer when no testamentary instructions exist, and they can vary by jurisdiction but share the common purpose of orderly distribution in intestate situations.

Antilapse statutes relate to gifts inside a will, ensuring a gift to a beneficiary who dies before the testator isn’t lost but goes to a substitute beneficiary or the beneficiary’s issue. They don’t govern how assets are distributed when there is no will. The term issue refers to descendants or heirs, not the set of rules themselves. Statutory law is the broad category of law created by statutes, but the question points to the specific statutes that handle intestate distribution.