By Law Definer
May 7th, 2026
When someone dies without a will, the law steps in to decide who gets the estate. That process depends heavily on who qualifies as an “heir at law”.
The legal definition of heir at law comes from centuries of common law tradition. Understanding this term matters whether you’re settling a loved one’s affairs, navigating probate court, or simply planning your own estate.
Heir at law means a person legally entitled to inherit a deceased person’s property when that person dies without a valid will. In legal contexts, it refers to individuals identified by state intestacy statutes as the rightful inheritors of an estate.
State statutes define who fits this category, and those statutes follow a strict priority order.
