Who Inherits If You Die Without a Will in Connecticut

Surviving spouse: everything if the decedent left no descendants and no parent; the first $100,000 plus three-quarters of the rest if the decedent left a parent but no descendants; the first $100,000 plus half of the rest if all of the decedent's descendants are also the spouse's; half if any of the decedent's descendants are not the spouse's. The rest (or everything, with no spouse) goes to the children equally (a deceased child's share to that child's descendants), then parents, then brothers and sisters and their descendants, then next of kin of equal degree, then stepchildren and their descendants. Half-blood relatives take the same share as whole-blood relatives.

A surviving spouse may elect a statutory share instead of what the will provides: a life estate (lifetime use) in one-third of the value of the property passing under the will, after debts and charges. The spouse must file written notice of the election with the Probate Court no later than 150 days after the decree admitting the will to probate is mailed. A spouse who abandoned the decedent without sufficient cause loses this right, and a valid prenuptial or postnuptial agreement can replace it.

If the decedent's solely owned personal property (not counting property that passes outside probate, such as joint or beneficiary-designated assets) is worth $40,000 or less and the decedent owned no real estate in Connecticut in their sole name, the surviving spouse (or, if none, next of kin, or another person with a sufficient interest) can file an affidavit with the Probate Court for the district where the decedent lived instead of opening a full probate. The affidavit lists the assets, any state aid received, and the claims, expenses and taxes owed. The court sends a copy to the Department of Administrative Services and cannot issue its decree until 30 days later; the decree then authorizes asset holders to pay creditors and transfer assets to the people entitled to them.