Source: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/intestate-succession-hawaii.html
Timestamp: 2019-06-18 09:44:54
Document Index: 358904070

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 560', '§ 560', '§ 560', '§ 560', '§ 560', '§ 560', '§ 560', '§ 560', '§ 560', '§ 560', '§ 560', '§ 560']

Intestate Succession in Hawaii | Nolo
Intestate Succession in Hawaii
What happens if you die without a will? Learn about intestacy in Hawaii.
If you die without a will in Hawaii, your assets will go to your closest relatives under state “intestate succession” laws. Here are some details about how intestate succession works in Hawaii.
To learn more about these types of assets, go to the How to Avoid Probate section of Nolo.com or read about Avoiding Probate in Hawaii.
Who Gets What in Hawaii?
spouse inherits $150,000 of your intestate property plus 1/2 of the balance
spouse inherits $100,000 of your intestate property plus 1/2 of the balance
spouse inherits $200,000 of intestate property plus 3/4 of the balance
The Spouse’s Share in Hawaii
In Hawaii, if you are married and you die without a will, what your spouse gets depends on whether or not you have living parents or descendants -- children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren. If you don’t, then your spouse inherits all of your intestate property. If you do, they and your spouse will share your intestate property as follows:
Example: Gerry is married to Joe, and her father is still alive. Gerry owns a house in joint tenancy with Joe, and Joe is also the named beneficiary of Gerry’s retirement account. When Gerry dies, Joe automatically inherits the house and any remaining retirement funds; those things are not intestate property. Gerry also owns $300,000 worth of property that would have passed under a will if she had made one. Joe inherits $275,000 worth of that property -- that is, $200,000 plus 3/4 of the $100,000 balance. The remaining $25,000 worth of Gerry’s intestate property goes to Gerry’s father.
If you die with children or other descendants from you and the surviving spouse, and your surviving spouse has descendants from previous relationships. Your surviving spouse inherits $150,000 of your intestate property plus 1/2 of the balance.
Example: Bill is married to Karen, and they have two grown children. Karen also has a son from a previous marriage. Bill and Karen own a large bank account in joint tenancy, and Bill took out a life insurance policy naming Karen as the beneficiary. When Bill dies, Karen receives the life insurance policy proceeds and inherits the bank account outright. Bill also owns $450,000 worth of other property that would have passed under a will, so Karen inherits $300,000 worth of that property -- that is, $150,000 plus 1/2 of the $300,000 balance. The remaining $150,000 goes to Bill’s and Karen’s two children.
If you die with descendants who are not the descendants of your surviving spouse. Your spouse inherits $100,000 of your intestate property plus 1/2 of the balance.
In Hawaii, the rules for married people also apply to reciprocal beneficiaries.
Children’s Shares in Hawaii
If you die without a will in Hawaii, your children will receive an “intestate share” of your property. The size of each child’s share depends on how many children you have, whether or not you are married, and whether they are also your spouse’s children. (See the table above.)
For children to inherit from you under the laws of intestacy, Hawaii must consider them your children, legally. For many families, this is not a confusing issue. But it’s not always clear. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Adopted children. Children you legally adopted will receive an intestate share, just as your biological children do. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:2-114.
Children placed for adoption. Children you placed for adoption and who were legally adopted by another family will not receive a share. However, if your biological children were adopted by your spouse, that won’t affect their intestate inheritance. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:2-114.
Posthumous children. Children conceived by you but not born before your death will receive a share. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:2-108.
Children born outside of marriage. If you were not married to your children’s mother when she gave birth to them, they will receive a share of your estate if you acknowledge your paternity, treat the children as yours and did not refuse to support them. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:2-114.
If you want to read the law, Hawaii Statutes § § 560:2-108 and 560:2-114 cover parent-child relationships.
If you die without any heirs and have an interest in kuleana lands, this property will go to the Department of Land and Natural Resources and be held in trust until the Office of Hawaiian Affairs develops a land management plan for its use. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:2-105.5.
Other Hawaii Intestate Succession Rules
Here are a few other things to know about Hawaii intestacy laws.
Survivorship period. To inherit under Hawaii’s intestate succession statutes, a person must outlive you by 120 hours. So, if you and your brother are in a car accident and he dies a few hours after you do, his estate would not receive any of your property. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:2-104.
Half-relatives. “Half” relatives inherit as if they were “whole.” That is, your sister with whom you share a father, but not a mother, has the same right to your property as she would if you had both parents in common. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:2-107.
Posthumous relatives. Relatives conceived before -- but born after -- you die inherit as if they had been born while you were alive. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:2-108.
Immigration status. Relatives entitled to an intestate share of your property will inherit whether or not they are citizens or legally in the United States. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:2-111.
Advancements. If you give property to a relative during your lifetime, the value of this property is subtracted from your relative’s share only if you wrote this at the time of making the gift or the relative admits this was the agreement in writing. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 560:2-109.
You can find Hawaii’s intestate succession law here: Hawaii Statutes § § 560:2-101 to 560-2-114.