Washington Intestate Estate Guidance
An “intestate estate” in Washington generally means a person passed away without a valid will. When this happens, Washington intestacy laws determine who inherits property and in what shares. Intestate estates often still require probate to appoint a personal representative and transfer assets properly.
Intestate estates can raise practical questions about which assets are part of the probate estate, how surviving spouses and children share property, and what happens when there are stepchildren, minor heirs, or disputes among family members.
Because intestacy rules are strict and fact-dependent, legal guidance can help clarify heirship, reduce delays, and ensure required court procedures and notices are handled correctly.
Learn How Intestacy Works Before Taking Action
Our experimental legal guidance chatbot provides general educational information about Washington intestacy, probate administration for estates without a will, personal representative duties, and common questions families face when settling an intestate estate.
Use it to get oriented, then schedule a consultation with Ruth for advice tailored to your family structure and estate.
Disclaimer: The chatbot provides general information only and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Individual circumstances require personalized legal advice.
About Ruth
Ruth Apahidean is a trusts and estates attorney at the Law Office of Neil R. Sarles. Her practice focuses on elder law, estate planning, and probate. She helps individuals and families plan for the management and transfer of their assets during life and after death.
This includes creating wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. She assists clients decide how assets should be distributed, who will make financial or medical decisions if the client becomes incapacitated, and how to protect beneficiaries such as minor children or family members with special needs.
Ruth guides individuals and families through the probate process (the court-supervised procedure used to settle a person’s estate after death). Her primary role is to assist the personal representative ensure that the deceased person’s assets are distributed according to a valid will or, if no will exists, in accordance with state law.
She has volunteered at Neighborhood Legal Clinics: Elder Law Clinic, the Washington First Responder Will Clinic, and Tacomaprobono Community Lawyers. Ruth is the Bar Talk Columnist for the King County Bar Association Bar Bulletin and the New Lawyer Liaison for the Washington State Bar Association Senior Lawyers Section.
Learn more about Ruth at https://www.sarles.com/.
Education:
- J.D., University of Washington School of Law
- B.A., History and English, University of Washington, magna cum laude
Bar Admissions:
- U.S. District Courts: Western District of Washington
- All Washington State Courts
Memberships:
- King County Bar Association
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or want to schedule a meeting, you can reach Ruth directly by email at ruth@sarles.com or using the form below.