What does dying intestate mean?

• A. A will has been created but not witnessed
• B. Death with debts outstanding
• C. When someone dies without having previously made a will. A set of intestacy rules will determine who is to inherit
• D. Death in which the estate goes to charity

Answer: (C)

Dying intestate means dying without a valid will. When there is no will to direct how the assets should be distributed, the estate is handled according to the law’s intestacy rules, which determine who inherits and in what shares. These rules typically prioritize close family—starting with a surviving spouse or civil partner and children—and then other relatives; if there are no eligible heirs, the estate may go to the state. This description matches the scenario where someone dies without having previously made a will, and a set of intestacy rules will determine who inherits.

The other options don’t fit because an unwitnessed will is a problem with a will’s validity, not absence of a will; debts concern the financial state rather than the existence of a will; and charity receiving the estate isn’t the default outcome of dying intestate.