Intestate Succession in Oregon

If you die without a will in Oregon, your assets will go to your closest relatives under state "intestate succession" laws. Here are some details about how intestate succession works in Oregon.

Which Assets Pass by Intestate Succession

Only assets that pass through probate are affected by intestate succession laws. Many valuable assets don't go through probate, and therefore aren't affected by intestate succession laws. Here are some examples:

• property you've transferred to a living trust
• life insurance proceeds with a named beneficiary
• funds in an IRA, 401(k), or other retirement account with a named beneficiary
• securities held in a transfer-on-death account
• real estate for which you have a transfer on death deed
• vehicles for which you have a transfer on death registration
• payable-on-death bank accounts, or
• property you own with someone else in joint tenancy or tenancy by the entirety.

These assets will pass to the surviving co-owner or to the beneficiary you named, whether or not you have a will. However, if you don't have a will and none of the named beneficiaries are alive to take the property, then the property could end up being transferred according to intestate succession.

To learn more about these types of assets, go to the How to Avoid Probate section of Nolo.com or read about Avoiding Probate in Oregon.

Who Gets What in Oregon?

Under intestate succession, who gets what depends on whether or not you have living children, parents, or other close relatives when you die. Here's a quick overview:

(Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 112.025; 112.035; 112.045 (2023).)

The Spouse's Share in Oregon

In Oregon, if you are married and you die without a will, what your spouse gets depends on whether or not you have living descendants -- children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren. If you don't, or if all of your descendants are also descendants of your spouse, then your spouse inherits all of your intestate property. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 112.025 (2023).)

If, however, you die with at least one descendant who is not the descendant of your surviving spouse, then your spouse inherits only 1/2 of your intestate property.

Example: Barrett is married to Jed and also has a 12-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. Barrett owns a house in joint tenancy with Jed, plus $200,000 worth of additional, separate property that would have passed under a will if Barrett had made one. When Barrett dies, Jed inherits the house outright -- it's not intestate property -- plus $100,000 worth of Barrett's property. Barrett's daughter inherits the remaining $100,000 share of Barrett's property.

Children's Shares in Oregon

If you die without a will in Oregon, your children will receive an "intestate share" of your property. The size of each child's share depends on how many children you have, whether or not you are married, whether your spouse is also their parent, and whether you have any children from a previous relationship. (See the table above.)

For children to inherit from you under the laws of intestacy, the state of Oregon must consider them your children, legally. For many families, this is not a confusing issue. But it's not always clear. Here are some things to keep in mind.

• Adopted children. Children you legally adopted will receive an intestate share, just as your biological children do. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 112.175 (2023).)
• Foster children and stepchildren. Foster children and stepchildren you never legally adopted will not automatically receive a share.
• Children placed for adoption. Children you placed for adoption and who were legally adopted by another family will not receive a share. However, if your biological children were adopted by your spouse, that won't affect their intestate inheritance. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 112.175 (2023).)
• Posthumous children. Children conceived by you but not born before your death will receive a share. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 112.077 (2023).)
• Child conceived from genetic material. If your genetic material was not in utero at the time of your death, any child born from this material will only receive a share if (1) your will or trust provided for the child; (2) you signed a document giving permission to use your genetic material; (3) the person who has control of your genetic material gives written notice to your personal representative within four months of their appointment; and (4) the child is in utero within two years from your death. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 112.077 (2023).)
• Children born outside of marriage. If you were not married to your children's mother when she gave birth to them, they will receive a share of your estate if you acknowledged your paternity in writing and your paternity was otherwise established under Oregon law. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 112.105 (2023).)
• Grandchildren. A grandchild will receive a share only if that grandchild's parent (your son or daughter) is not alive to receive his or her share. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 112.065 (2023).)

This can be a tricky area of the law, so if you have questions about your relationship to your parent or child, get help from an experienced attorney. If you want to read the law itself, you'll find a link to Oregon's intestate succession statutes at the end of this article.

Will the State Get Your Property?

If you die without a will and don't have any family, your property will "escheat" into the state's coffers. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 112.055 (2023).)

However, this very rarely happens because the laws are designed to get your property to anyone who was even remotely related to you. For example, your property won't go to the state if you leave a spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, or cousins.

Other Oregon Intestate Succession Rules

Here are a few other things to know about Oregon intestacy laws.

• Survivorship period. To inherit under Oregon's intestate succession statutes, a person must outlive you by 120 hours. So, if you and your brother are in a car accident and he dies a few hours after you do, his estate would not receive any of your property. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 112.572 (2023).)
• Half-relatives. "Half" relatives inherit as if they were "whole." That is, your sister with whom you share a father, but not a mother, has the same right to your property as she would if you had both parents in common. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 112.095 (2023).)
• Immigration status. Relatives entitled to an intestate share of your property will inherit whether or not they are citizens or legally in the United States.
• Criminal acts. A person who feloniously kills or abuses you will not inherit a share of your estate. (Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 112.455 to 112.555 (2023).)
• Advancements. If you give an heir property during your lifetime, the value of the property is subtracted from your heir's share only if you or the heir wrote down that it is an advancement on the inheritance. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 112.135 (2023).)

Learn More

To learn more about intestate succession, read How an Estate Is Settled If There's No Will.

You can find Oregon's laws on wills and intestate succession here: Oregon Revised Statutes § § 112.015 to 112.830.

For more about estate planning, go to the Wills, Trusts & Probate section of Nolo.com.