Who Inherits If You Die Without a Will in Nevada

Community property: the surviving spouse already owns half, and the deceased spouse's half also goes to the surviving spouse when there is no will. Separate property: a surviving spouse with one child (or that child's descendants) takes half and the child takes half; with more than one child, the spouse takes one-third and the children share two-thirds. With no children, the spouse takes half and the parents take half (or the siblings, if no parent survives); the spouse takes all if there are no children, parents, siblings or their descendants. With no spouse or children, the parents inherit, and if none, the estate passes to siblings and more distant relatives.

Nevada is a community property state. At death, half of the community property already belongs to the surviving spouse; only the deceased spouse's half can be left by will (and it goes to the surviving spouse if there is no will). Nevada does not have a common-law dower or curtesy estate.

If the decedent left no Nevada real estate, a person entitled to the property may collect it by affidavit 40 days after death, without court letters. Limit: gross value of up to $25,000 for most claimants, or up to $150,000 if the claimant is the surviving spouse. Armed Forces pay owed to the decedent and registered motor vehicles are not counted toward the limit. The affidavit cannot be used for real estate.