If you're an unmarried dog parent, who's going to get
Fido (and your assets)?
For the second installment of the WYNAW series, I'm starting
the simplest example: what happens if you die without a will when
you are single with no children. Unfortunately, it's really not
all that simple. In my last post, I explained intestate succession
and "per stirpes." This post covers some of the common
issues that arise in most intestate estates and future posts will
build on the issues discussed below.
One Surviving Parent
If you die survived by only one parent, everything will pass to
that parent and he or she will have priority to be appointed as the
administrator of your estate. Sounds easy, but what if your
surviving parent is disabled and does not leave the house or has
dementia and lacks capacity to act. Maybe you have a sibling or
family friend who is willing to serve. That's nice of them, but
your parent is still going to need to sign some paperwork to let
that person
