- Married with no children
- The entire estate passes to the surviving spouse.
- Married with child or children
- If there are surviving issue of the decedent, the spouse gets either one third or a child’s share of the entire intestate estate, whichever is greater. The children get the balance.
- No spouse survives but there are other relatives
- If there is no surviving spouse, the estate passes as follows:
1) to the issue of the decedent; if they are all of the same degree of kinship to the decedent they take equally, but if of unequal degree, then those of more remote degree take by representation.
2) decedent’s parents
3) decedent’s siblings and the issue of each deceased brother and sister
4) decedent’s grandparents
5) the issue of deceased grandparents
6) other relatives - Order of estate distribution if decedent not married
- 1) to the issue of the decedent; if they are all of the same degree of kinship to the decedent they take equally, but if of unequal degree, then those of more remote degree take by representation.
2) decedent’s parents
3) decedent’s siblings and the issue of each deceased brother and sister
4) decedent’s grandparents
5) the issue of deceased grandparents
6) other relatives - No surviving relatives
- The estate goes to the state of Tennessee.
- State link
- http://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2010/title-31/chapter-2/
- Special notes
- 1)Relatives of the half blood inherit the same share they would inherit if they were of the whole blood.2) If you click on the state link, look for Section 31-2-104.
