Hey everyone. My close friend recently passed away, and he has no immediate family. I’m trying to figure out what happens with his stuff now. He didn’t have a will, so I’m not sure what the process is. Anyone been through something similar or have advice on where to start?
Sorry for your loss, that sounds tough. If he didn’t have a will, the estate usually goes through something called ‘intestate succession.’ Basically, his assets will go to his closest living relatives—like parents or siblings, if there are any. If not, it could go to more distant family.
@Bailey
Thanks, DEF. That makes sense. He didn’t have close family, though. Would they go to cousins or something?
@Bailey
Yeah, it could. The court would try to locate any distant relatives if no immediate family exists. If there’s no one, sometimes the state ends up handling it.
I’ve dealt with this for a relative! If no close family, you might have to reach out to a lawyer about opening probate. That’s where the court officially handles the assets and distributes them.
Rafe said:
I’ve dealt with this for a relative! If no close family, you might have to reach out to a lawyer about opening probate. That’s where the court officially handles the assets and distributes them.
What’s probate? Is it expensive to do?
Rafe said:
I’ve dealt with this for a relative! If no close family, you might have to reach out to a lawyer about opening probate. That’s where the court officially handles the assets and distributes them.
Probate is just the legal process of distributing someone’s estate after they pass. Costs vary, but if the estate’s small, fees might not be too high.
From what I know, if he had no parents or siblings, distant family on both his mother’s and father’s side would be contacted. They’d need to get probate to handle everything.
Cary said:
From what I know, if he had no parents or siblings, distant family on both his mother’s and father’s side would be contacted. They’d need to get probate to handle everything.
I see. Any idea how to even find his distant relatives? I don’t know much about his extended family.
Cary said:
From what I know, if he had no parents or siblings, distant family on both his mother’s and father’s side would be contacted. They’d need to get probate to handle everything.
Honestly, sometimes a probate lawyer can help with that. They’d know how to track down distant family for cases like this.
If you can’t find anyone, sometimes the state gets the assets. But that’s only if they can’t find any family members. A lawyer might know the best way to go about this.
Tatum said:
If you can’t find anyone, sometimes the state gets the assets. But that’s only if they can’t find any family members. A lawyer might know the best way to go about this.
So, like, the state just keeps everything? Sounds kinda harsh!
Tatum said:
If you can’t find anyone, sometimes the state gets the assets. But that’s only if they can’t find any family members. A lawyer might know the best way to go about this.
Yeah, it’s a bit cold. But it’s like a last resort if no family’s around. Best to try and locate someone if possible.
One more tip—if you’re handling his things, see if he left any clues about family contacts in his papers or phone. Sometimes people jot down info you’d never think to look for.
Adi said:
One more tip—if you’re handling his things, see if he left any clues about family contacts in his papers or phone. Sometimes people jot down info you’d never think to look for.
Good idea, VWX. I’ll go through his stuff carefully. Never know what might be in there.
Adi said:
One more tip—if you’re handling his things, see if he left any clues about family contacts in his papers or phone. Sometimes people jot down info you’d never think to look for.
Exactly! You’d be surprised at what little notes you might find. Good luck, and take care of yourself during this.