What happens without a will?

Probate is the court procedure whereby a judge orders the distribution of the assets of a decedent to the decedent's heirs or beneficiaries.

An experienced probate attorney at Sirkin Law Group, PC can assist you with the nuances of probate.

Having a will allows the court to take your instructions and order the distributions per your wishes.

If you do not have a will, the court uses the default rules of distribution as set forth in the Probate Code to distribute your assets.

1.  Typed wills.

2. Holographic or hand-written wills.

A typed will requires two witnesses who will attest to the decedent's signature.

Some accounts allow a joint owner or a beneficiary to be designated.   If there is a joint owner or a beneficiary, the asset passes outside of probate and outside of the will.