How Do You Spell INTESTACY?

Pronunciation: [ɪntˈɛstəsi] (IPA)

Intestacy is a legal term referring to the state of dying without a will. The spelling of the word begins with the sound "in" as in "insect" and is followed by "tes" pronounced as "tɛs". The next sound is "ta" pronounced as "tə", followed by "si" pronounced as "sə" and ending with "see" pronounced as "si". The word's pronunciation is ɪnˈtɛstəsi in the British pronunciation and ɪnˈtɛstəsi in the American one. It is important to spell and pronounce the word correctly to avoid misunderstandings in legal contexts.

INTESTACY Meaning and Definition

1. Intestacy is a legal term that refers to the condition or situation in which a person dies without having made a valid will or testament, thereby leaving their estate or assets without clear instructions on how they should be distributed or administered. In other words, intestacy occurs when a person passes away without designating beneficiaries or heirs to inherit their property, causing the distribution of assets to be determined by the laws of intestate succession.

   When intestacy occurs, the deceased person's estate is typically handled by the court system through a legal process known as probate. During probate, the court will appoint an administrator, who is often a close family member or a professional appointed by the court, to oversee the administration of the estate. The administrator is responsible for determining the rightful heirs to the estate, based on state laws and rules of inheritance.

   The distribution of assets in cases of intestacy follows a set of predetermined rules established by each jurisdiction's laws, which dictate the order in which relatives of the deceased are entitled to inherit the estate. These laws generally prioritize spouses, children, parents, and siblings as potential heirs, but the specific order and distribution may vary depending on the legal jurisdiction.

   Overall, intestacy leaves the distribution of an individual's assets in the hands of the courts and the laws of inheritance, rather than allowing the individual to have control over how their property is distributed after their death.

2. The state of dying without having made a valid will.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for INTESTACY

• intestans
• insessancy
• inextacy
• Interjacy
• Intastecy
• Intestasey
• Entestatecy

Etymology of INTESTACY

The term "intestacy" is derived from the Latin word "intestatus" which means "without a will". The word is a combination of "in-" (meaning "not") and "testamentum" (meaning "will"). Intestacy refers to the state or condition of a person who dies without leaving behind a valid will, leading to the distribution of their assets and estate according to the laws of inheritance.

Similar spelling words for INTESTACY

• Antistes,
• Indeciduous,
• indocetus,
• andesites,
• andocides,
• endocytose,
• antecedes,
• intwists,
• entwists,
• andesytes,
• Antacids,
• untwists.

Plural form of INTESTACY is INTESTACIES