Inheritance Rights

Inheritance rights are the laws that dictate who can claim a deceased person's estate. Jurisdictions have different sets of regulations dealing with the finer points, but all share certain similarities. In most cases, the rights of individuals to claim property and assets after a death are dictated by a will or family relationships to the deceased. Rights may be different for spouses, ex-spouses, biological children, and adopted children in regards to claiming a portion of an estate.

The creation of a will is generally the easiest way to assure that all assets are properly distributed after death. This simple document allows a person to set forth precisely what property, money, and other assets goes to specific individuals upon death. Under the laws of inheritance, an individual may contest a will in court if that individual feels the will was not an accurate distribution of assets. If the decease person has no will, which is called dying "intestate," property is usually distributed according to the laws of the jurisdiction.