A child’s entitlement when their parent dies intestate depends on whether the parent died leaving a spouse or children. Here is the basic scheme set out in WESA section 21 https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/09013_01#section21 where a parent dies without a Will leaving a spouse and children:
The surviving spouse https://onyxlaw.ca/bc-estate-law-common-law-spouse-inherit-partner-dies-without-will/ receives the household furnishings and a “preferential share” of the estate.
If all of the children are of both the deceased and the surviving spouse, the preferential share of the spouse is $300,000.
If all of the children of the deceased are from the deceased’s previous relationship, the preferential share of the spouse is $150,000.
After the spouse takes their preferential share, the remaining assets are distributed as follows:
One half to the spouse, and
One half to the children. divided equally among them.
If the total value of the estate is less than the spouse’s preferential share, the spouse will be entitled to the entire estate and the deceased’ children will not receive anything from the estate.
If a parent dies without a Will leaving only one child but no spouse, the distribution of the estate is much simpler. Section 23 of WESA https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/09013_01#section23 applies in that situation, which provides that the deceased’s child takes the entire estate.
If the parent died leaving more than one child, the estate is split equally among the children. Section 23 of WESA specifies that division among descendants is per stirpes, which means inheritance goes down the line of descendants. So, for example, if a parent had three children, and one of those children predeceases the parent but had children of their own, the deceased child’s share goes to their children, if any, in equal shares.