Legal Definitions - statute of distribution

A statute of distribution is a law in a state that governs how an estate is divided among the heirs and relatives of a person who died without a will. This law specifies the patterns for distributing the real and personal property of the deceased.

For example, if a person dies without a will, the statute of distribution may dictate that their land is inherited by their heirs, while their personal property is inherited by their next of kin. This means that the deceased person's children, spouse, or other relatives may receive different portions of the estate depending on the type of property involved.

Another example of how the statute of distribution works is if a person dies without a will and has no surviving spouse or children. In this case, the law may dictate that the estate is divided equally among the deceased person's parents or siblings.

Overall, the statute of distribution is an important law that helps ensure that the property of a deceased person is distributed fairly among their heirs and relatives.