Which statutes govern distributions when there is no valid will?

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

Answer: (B)

Distributions when there is no valid will are governed by intestacy statutes. These laws specify who inherits a deceased person’s assets and in what shares based on their relationships to the decedent. They typically prioritize a surviving spouse first, then children, followed by other close relatives, with the state taking if no eligible heirs exist. The exact rules vary by jurisdiction, including differences in community-property states or whether inheritance is allocated per stirpes or per capita. Intestacy statutes apply automatically in the absence of a valid will, and they determine the estate’s distribution even if no will exists. If a will is present but invalid, the intestacy framework generally does not apply because the will would govern distributions; meanwhile, other concepts like antilapse deal with specific provisions within a will rather than intestate succession. While courts may interpret and apply these statutes, the controlling framework for intestate distributions is statutory law.