With more people in California over the age of 75 accruing credit card debt and mortgages than in previous decades, it is becoming increasingly likely that you may leave debts behind for your heirs rather than assets. If you are in debt, it can be difficult to look beyond the present, but estate planning is still important at this stage. Specifically, it is important to take steps to protect your loved ones from having to pay off your creditors.
What if one dies without a will?
Experts counsel people both in San Jose and throughout the rest of the U.S. to see to their estate planning early on in their adult lives. Yet even so, many American adults do not have a will. What happens, then, if you have a family member dies without ever preparing one? In such a case, their estate becomes subject to intestate succession. "Intestate" is the word applied to cases where one dies without a will, and the terms regarding how their estate will be dispersed are set forth by the state.
