Intestate may be used as an adjective to refer to which of the following?

• A. A person who dies without leaving a valid will
• B. Property disposed of by a will
• C. Property not effectively disposed of by a will
• D. A court order

Answer: (C)

Intestate is used to describe the estate when there is no valid will directing how property should be distributed. In probate practice, the focus is on the estate and how it passes under state laws of intestate succession, i.e., the property that isn’t effectively disposed of by a will. That’s why the best choice says the property not effectively disposed of by a will. The term can also describe a person who dies without a will, but the adjective form most directly applied to the property in question is the intestate estate—hence this option is the correct fit.