When a Vermont resident dies without a valid will, probate property passes under Vermont intestacy law. The Probate Division still appoints an administrator and oversees the estate; non-probate assets may pass under different rules.
Intestacy controls probate property
Vermont statutes set an order of inheritance based on surviving family relationships. The result can be different when there is a spouse, descendants from another relationship, parents, or more remote heirs.
Ownership and beneficiary designations still matter
Joint ownership, payable-on-death designations, retirement accounts, life insurance, and trust property may pass outside the intestate estate. Each asset must be identified and classified.
The court still has a role
The estate may need an administrator, notices, creditor handling, inventory, tax work, and distribution approval. A small-estate path may apply only if current requirements are met.