- According to Oklahoma law, if an Oklahoma resident dies, regardless of which state they were in when they died, the county they resided in has jurisdiction over their estate. If a person dies in Oklahoma, but is not an Oklahoma resident, the county in which the property is located (including property in Oklahoma) has jurisdiction over their estate.
- Oklahoma law also dictates that a person who dies intestate (without a will) has their property divided according to the laws governing intestate succession which determine who, and in what order, inherits what the deceased owned at the time of their death. Oklahoma Statute § 84213 states, if the deceased left behind a spouse and child, each one will receive one-half of the estate.
- In Oklahoma, if a resident dies without a will, the court appoints someone to act as the representative of the estate to oversee the evaluation of the estate and subsequent distribution of assets according to the laws governing intestate succession in Oklahoma.
Benefits of Preparing a Will at a Young Age
Many people delay writing a will due to their thinking that doing so is not necessary unless they are elderly or terminally ill; however, they fail to take into consideration that fatal accidents occur every day leaving heirs at the mercy of the state probate court.
A will can specifically state who will be in charge of the care of any dependent children, in addition to specifying who the beneficiaries of all monies, and property owned, and left behind by them, will be. In addition, the probate process for a will takes far less time than the probate process of an individual who dies without a will.
Probate Counsel in Oklahoma City
Contact Robert R. Robles, probate attorney in Oklahoma City, today to discuss your estate, and how you can protect your heirs if you prepare a will before you die.
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