Lesson 1 of 3 · 6 min
With a will, or without one
Testate means your written wishes decide. Intestate means a default list in the law decides. There is no third mode where the family just sorts it out.
Everything you own — bank balance, bike, laptop, that one good pair of shoes — minus everything you owe, is your estate. When you die, exactly one of two things happens to it.
Either it moves the way a valid will says: that is dying TESTATE. Or it moves the way the law's default list says: that is dying INTESTATE. There is no third mode where the family 'just sorts it out'.
| Question | With a valid will (testate) | Without one (intestate) |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | You, in writing | A default list in the law |
| Who carries it out | The executor you named | Whoever the family and the courts settle on |
| Friends, charities, unequal gifts | Possible — you choose | Not possible — the list is fixed |
| Speed and disputes | Usually faster; wishes are on paper | Slower; the gaps fuel fights |
Sort it
1 / 4
True or false, for dying without a will?
The government takes your property
Quick check
'Intestate' means —
Check yourself
1 / 3
Kabir asks
After a death, an estate can move in exactly two ways. Which two?
Done reading?
Saved in this browser.