Intestacy Flashcards
What is Intestacy
When the decedent leaves no will.
What is Partial Intestacy
Decedent leaves a will (or Trust) that disposes of only part of the probate estate; the part of the estate not disposed of by the will passes by intestacy.
What law governs property during intestacy
Real Property: Where property is located.
Personal Property: Where decedent is domiciled at death
Testacy
Decedent leaves a will that provides for the disposition of her property at death.
What is the goal of the Intestacy rules
Intestate Succession rules are meant to carry out the probable intent of the typical intestate decedent
What happens when property is not devised by will
Default Rule: Probate Code § 6400
Any part of the estate of a decedent not effectively disposed of by will passes to the decedent’s heirs
What is the surviving spouse’s intestate share of the decedent’s CP?
CP/ Quasi-CP: Half of the community property/ quasi CP that belongs to the decedent (essentially ALL of the CP)
What is the surviving spouse’s intestate share of decedent’s SP?
The entire intestate estate, if the decedent did not leave any surviving issue (parent, brother, sister, or issue of a deceased brother or sister)
One-half of the intestate estate if the decedent leaves only one child (or their issue) OR if the decedent leaves no issue, but leaves a parent or parents (or their issue)
One-third of the intestate estate in the following cases:
(A) Where the decedent leaves more than one child.
(B) Where the decedent leaves one child and the issue of
one or more deceased children.
(C) Where the decedent leaves issue of two or more deceased children.
120 Hour Survival Rule
A person who fails to survive the decedent by 120 hours is deemed to have predeceased the decedent for the purpose of intestate succession, and the heirs are determined accordingly.
Must be established by clear and convincing evidence
This rule DOES NOT APPLY if the application of the 120-hour survival requirement would result in the escheat of property to the state.
Simultaneous Death of Spouses and their CP
Probate Code § 103:
If two spouses die simultaneously, each estate receives ½ of the community property and quasi-community property (still subject to the 120-hour rule)
Simultaneous Death: Beneficiary right to succeed
interest conditional upon survival
If a beneficiary’s gift is conditioned upon them surviving another person, AND it cannot be established by C&C evidence that they did: The beneficiary is deemed not to have survived that person (i.e., died simultaneously)
If the beneficiary must survive multiple beneficiaries, AND it cannot be established by C&C evidence that they did: divide the property equally among the named beneficiaries (with each beneficiary’s estate receiving a portion).
What happens to property in JT if Simultaneous Death of Joint Tenants
If property is held by multiple joint tenants who die simultaneously (or it can’t be proven using C&C
evidence who died first)
- JT property will be divided into as many portions as there are joint tenants
- Each joint tenant’s share is administered as if that joint tenant had survived the others.
Simultaneous Death of Insured and Beneficiary (e.g., under a life insurance policy)
the policy proceeds shall be distributed as if beneficiary had predeceased the insured.
EXCEPT IF the policy is CP or quasi-CP of the insured & and her spouse, and no alternative beneficiary is otherwise named on the policy (then look at the CP rule for simultaneous death)
What happen to all property not passing to the surviving spouse under intestacy law?
Overview of Analysis:
a. Surviving children (or issue?)
b. Surviving parent(s)?
c. Surviving issue of parents?
d. Surviving grandparents (or issue)?
e. Step-children from a predeceased spouse?
f. Kin surviving them from the last 2 columns?
g. Surviving in-laws or issue of in-laws?
h. IF NO the estate escheats to the state
Classic/Strict Per Stirpes
Most common in CA:
Start at 1st generational line below the decedent.
Assign an equal share to those members who are alive, or deceased leaving issue. NO DECEASED w/ NO ISSUE
If any of the members on that line are deceased, go to their generational line & assign their share equally to their issue
Modern Per Stirpes
Default in CA if not contrary intention
Go to the first generational level below the decedent with at least one person alive.
Assign everyone on that line (alive or dead) an equal share of the estate, then to their issue(s) if dead.
Per Capita Per Capita at Each Generation
Goes to the first generational level below the decedent with at least one person alive (SAME AS MODERN PER STIRPES)
BUT subsequent takers are treated equally (e.g., if 1/2 of estate still undevised after first generation level, remaining half shared equally among other level)
A Parent/Child Relationship Exist (for the purposes of Intestate Sucession) Between:
(a) A person and the person’s natural parents, regardless of the parent’s marital status
(b) An adopted person and the person’s adopting parent or parents.
Adoption and the Relationship Between Child and their NATURAL parent
(a) An adoption severs the parent/child relationship between an adopted person and their NATURAL parent
UNLESS both of the following requirements are satisfied:
(1) The natural parent and the adopted person lived together at any time as parent and child, OR the natural parent was married to or cohabiting with the other natural parent at the time the person was conceived and died before the person’s birth.
AND
(2) The adoption was by the spouse of either of the natural parents OR the adoption was after the death of either of the natural parents.
*The adoption must be by the spouse or surviving spouse of that parent
*a prior adoptive parent and child relationship is treated as a natural parent and child relationship
Adoption Hypo: Child’s parents were married to each other or lived together as a family. Child lives with both parents. Parent 1 dies. Parent 2 relinquishes child for adoption.
For the purpose of inheritance, the adopted child
remains a member of both the deceased parent’s family and of the relinquishing parent’s family.
The child lived with the natural parents, as parent and child, satisfying Subdivision (a)(1). The adoption was after the death of the Parent 1, satisfying Subdivision (a)(2)
Adoption Hypo 2: Child’s parents were married to each other or lived together as a family until father died. Child lives with Parent 1 but not Parent 2 because Parent 2 died prior to child’s birth. Parent 1 relinquishes child for adoption
For the purpose of inheritance, the adopted child remains a member of both the deceased parent’s family and of the relinquishing parent’s family.
Parent 2 died before the birth of the child, satisfying the Subdivision (a)(1) requirement and the adoption was after the death of the Parent 2, satisfying Subdivision (a)(2).
Posthumous Children
Relatives of the decedent conceived before the decedent’s death but born thereafter inherit as if they had been born in the lifetime of the decedent.
Does the Marital Status of the Parents Matter?
Common Law: A child born out of wedlock had no inheritance rights through the mother or father.
CA Probate Code:
(a) Parent/Child relationship exists between child and NATURAL parents, regardless of their marital status
(b) The relationship of parent and child exists between an ADOPTED person and the person’s adopting PARENT or PARENTS.
When Can the Parents be Cut Off from their child for inheritance?
(1) Their parental rights were terminated and the parent-child relationship was not judicially reestablished.
(2) The parent did not acknowledge the child.
(3) Presumptive evidence of intent to abandon: the parent left the child during the child’s minority without an effort to provide for or communicate with them for at least seven consecutive years that continued until the end of the child’s minority, with the intent on the part of the parent to abandon the child.
A parent who does not inherit from the child this way shall be deemed to have predeceased the child for purposes of intestacy
