BusinessAugust 24, 2026
intestate
in-TES-teyt
Definition
Describes the legal state of a person who has passed away without having created a valid will or trust.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'intestatus,' combining 'in-' (not) and 'testatus' (witnessed or having made a will), arriving in Middle English through French to describe the lack of a legal testament.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe 'intestate probate,' which is the court-supervised process for distributing assets when someone dies without a will, resulting in a default distribution formula that may not fit agricultural families.
Estate planning: 5 steps for agricultural families
Read the full article ↗Farm Progress