How are assets distributed when someone dies without leaving a will?

If the deceased dies without leaving a will, or if the will exists but is invalid because it does not meet legal requirements, the deceased's assets are distributed to heirs according to the legal inheritance provisions stipulated in the Civil Act.

Legal inheritance is conducted in the following order, and if a higher-priority heir exists, lower-priority heirs do not have inheritance rights.

1st priority is the deceased's lineal descendants (children, etc.) and legal spouse.

2nd priority is the deceased's lineal ascendants (parents, etc.) and legal spouse.

3rd priority is the deceased's siblings.

4th priority is the deceased's collateral relatives within the 4th degree of kinship.

When there are multiple heirs in the same priority, the principle is to divide the inheritance share equally.

However, when the spouse jointly inherits with lineal descendants or lineal ascendants, the spouse's inheritance share is set at 1.5 times that of other heirs.

To prevent disputes among heirs and conduct smooth inheritance procedures, receiving expert assistance in the early stages can be helpful.

For detailed matters related to wills, please check through consultation with an inheritance specialist attorney.