What happens if someone dies without a will and has no surviving relatives?

If someone dies without a will and has no surviving relatives in Washington state, their property will be distributed according to Washington’s intestate succession law. Under state law, the decedent’s property will pass to their closest surviving relatives. If there are no surviving relatives, the state will then step in and take control of the decedent’s assets. Under Washington state’s intestate succession laws, the decedent’s property will first go to their surviving spouse. If the decedent had no spouse, the property will pass to the decedent’s children. If the decedent had no children, the property will then go to the decedent’s parents. If the decedent had no surviving parents, the property will go to the decedent’s siblings. If the decedent had no surviving siblings, the property will go to the decedent’s grandparents. If the decedent had no surviving grandparents, the property will then go to the decedent’s aunts, uncles, and cousins. If, after all these steps, the decedent still has no surviving relatives, the state of Washington will take ownership of the decedent’s assets, and dispose of them according to state law.

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What happens if someone dies without a will and has no surviving relatives?

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