abintestate
adj. C1 Advanced abin·tes·tate
adj. describing a person who has died without leaving a will. This means their family or the government decides how their money and property are shared.
adj. referring to a deceased person who has died without a valid will or other legal instrument for the distribution of their estate.
The lawyer explained that the estate was abintestate.
Since the deceased was abintestate, the court followed the state's default rules for distributing the inheritance to the surviving spouse and children.
The legal team argued that the assets should be distributed according to the specific wishes outlined in the will, rather than abintestate laws which might favor distant relatives over the intended beneficiaries.