What is the definition of inheritance law?
Inheritance law is a set of laws that determine who receives a deceased person’s property, assets, and debts after they have passed away. Inheritance law is also known as probate law or succession law and is governed by state law. In Washington, inheritance law falls under the Washington Probate Code and is designed to guarantee that a decedent’s wishes are carried out as intended. Inheritance law states that beneficiaries of the estate (those who receive property from the decedent) are entitled to their respective share of the estate, free from any claims of creditors or other third parties. The law also states that creditors of the deceased must be paid from the estate before any assets are distributed to the beneficiaries. In Washington, the probate process is what a court uses to identify and inventory the property of a deceased person and to determine who should receive the property. During the probate process, the court will appoint an executor or administrator of the estate to manage the process. The executor or administrator will be responsible for collecting any debts owed to the decedent, paying creditors, and distributing the remaining property to the beneficiaries according to the decedent’s stated wishes. If a will is left behind, the executor will be responsible for locating and validating it, as well as ensuring that its terms are carried out as written.
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