Are there any restrictions on who can inherit from an intestate estate?

In Washington, there are certain restrictions on who can inherit from an intestate estate. Intestate succession is the transfer of an estate when the deceased did not make a legal will. Under Washington state law, the estate is first distributed to the deceased’s surviving spouse, and then to the deceased’s surviving children, and then to the deceased’s surviving parents. If the deceased has no surviving spouse, children, or parents, the estate is distributed to any surviving siblings or their descendants. If there are no surviving siblings, the estate is distributed to the descendants of the deceased’s deceased siblings. Washington state law also restricts those who may not inherit from an intestate estate. A surviving spouse or children of the deceased may not inherit if they have been convicted of a felony or of a crime against the deceased. Furthermore, a person who was not related to the decedent may not inherit unless they were living with the decedent and had a legal obligation to support them. Additionally, if the decedent’s parent or sibling was adopted by a person other than the decedent’s natural parent, the adopted parent or sibling generally cannot inherit. These are just a few of the restrictions on who can inherit from an intestate estate in Washington.

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