when a person dies what is considered their estate?
In every state there are laws that list the order of heirs. These laws are called laws of intestate succession.. When a person dies intestate, or without a will, the laws of the state where he resided determine how his estate is distributed. According to these laws, specific family members, or heirs, have a right to inherit a share of the decedent's property. These laws are typically found in a state's probate code.