Understanding Intestacy - More Questions and Planning Choices

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Understanding Intestacy Part 2
More Questions Planning Choices By The Deason
Garner Law Firm
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• Family
• What will my children/family inherit?
• Arizona is a community property state. This means
  that the property you and your spouse acquire
  during your marriage is owned jointly by the both
  of you. When one spouse dies, the other
  automatically becomes the sole owner of all
  community property, with some exceptions. Spouses
  also inherit a portion of the property you
  acquired before your marriage, known as separate
  property.

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 Spouses What will my spouse inherit? Arizona
is a community property state. This means that
the property you and your spouse acquire during
your marriage is owned jointly by the both of
you. When one spouse dies, the other
automatically becomes the sole owner of all
community property, with some exceptions. Spouses
also inherit a portion of the property you
acquired before your marriage, known as separate
property.
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Escheat Is it true that the state can inherit
all my property? Yes. Should you die leaving
behind no identifiable living relatives, the
state of Arizona becomes your legal heir. Though
it rarely happens, it is possible.
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Choices Is there anything I can do to avoid
intestacy? Absolutely. Creating a will allows
you to make inheritance choices. You can also
choose who you want to act as your estate
representative, and make other important
decisions that, should you die intestate, you
would otherwise leave up to a court or Arizona
intestacy laws to decide.