If a beneficiary you name in your estate plan passes away before you, the inheritance you left to that beneficiary will go to the beneficiary's children. If you have no descendants when you pass away, the law of your state will determine the order in which your other relatives will inherit from you - this process is called "Intestate".
For example, if you leave $10,000 to your child per stirpes and your child passes away before you, the $10,000 will go to that child's children.
The chart below lists the statutes regarding the order of inheritance in your state. There may be more than one relevant statute for your state. If there are more than two or three statutes, you will see the phrase "et seq." behind your state's statute, which means there are several statutes after the one listed.
| State | Intestate Heir Statute(s) |
| AL | Ala. Code § 43-8-41 (1975), 43-8-42 |
| AK | AS 13.12.102, 13.12.103 |
| AZ | ARS § 14-2102,14-2103 |
| AR | Ark. Code § 28-9-214 |
| CA | Ca. Prob. Code § 6401, 6402 |
| CO | CRS § 15-11-102, 15-11-103 |
| CT | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-437, 45a-438 |
| DE | 12 Del. C. § 502, 503 |
| DC | D.C. Code § 19-302, 19-306 et seq. |
| FL | Fla. Stat. § 732.102, 732.103 |
| GA | OCGA § 53-2-1(c) |
| HI | HRS § 560:2-102, 560:2-103 |
| ID | Idaho Code § 15-2-102, 15-2-103 |
| IL | 755 ILCS 5/2-1 |
| IN | IC 29-1-2-1 |
| IA | Iowa Code § 633.211, 633.212, 633.219 |
| KS | K.S.A. 59-504 et seq. |
| KY | KRS 391.010 et seq. |
| LA | La. Civil Code Art. 880 et seq. |
| ME | 18-C M.R.S. § 2-102, 2-103 |
| MD | Md. Code, ET § 3-102, 3-103, 3-104 |
| MA | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 190B, § 2-102, 2-103 |
| MI | MCL 700.2102, 700.2103 |
| MN | Minn. Stat. § 524.2-102, 103 |
| MS | Miss. Code § 91-1-3, 91-1-7 |
| MO | § 474.010, RSMo |
| MT | § 72-2-112, 72-2-113 MCA |
| NE | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2302, 30-2303 |
| NV | NRS 134.010, 134.030 et seq. |
| NH | RSA 561:1 |
| NJ | N.J.S. § 3B:5-3, 3B:5-4 |
| NM | NMS § 45-2-102, 45-2-103 |
| NY | N.Y. Est. Powers and Trusts Law § 4-1.1 |
| NC | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 29-14, 29-15 |
| ND | N.D.C.C. § 30.1-04-02, 30.1-04-03 |
| OH | R.C. §2105.06 |
| OK | Okla. Stat. tit. 84, § 213 |
| OR | ORS 112.025, 112.035, 112.045 |
| PA | 20 Pa.C.S. § 2102, 2103 |
| RI | R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-1-1 et seq. |
| SC | S.C. Code § 62-2-102, 62-2-103 |
| SD | SDCL 29A-2-102, 29A-2-103 |
| TN | T.C.A. § 31-2-104 |
| TX | Tex. Estates § 201.001, 201.002, 201.003 |
| UT | Utah Code § 75-2-102, 75-2-103 |
| VT | 14 V.S.A. § 311, 314 |
| VA | Va. Code § 64.2-200 |
| WA | RCW 11.04.015 |
| WV | W. Va. Code § 42-1-3, 42-1-3a |
| WI | Wis. Stat. § 852.01 |
| WY | W.S. 2-4-101 |