What is the effect of intestacy?

If you die without establishing your preferences for the distribution of your assets, you are said to die “intestate”. North Carolina has established a “will” for you and it will determine the distribution of your property. This might cause some surprises for your family. For example if you die married, but without children and you have a surviving parent(s), your spouse gets the first $50,000 of your personal property and then everything else is split 50% to your surviving spouse and 50% to your parent(s).  Don't leave things to chance.