Law Commons^™

Using Empirical Studies As A Basis For Updating Intestacy Laws, Sergio Pareja

Faculty Scholarship

The principal goal of any intestacy statute is to determine the probable intent of individuals who die without a will. Professor Wright and Ms. Sterner analyze 493 wills that were probated in Escambia and Alachua Counties, Florida, in 2013. This blog post reviews their study as well as Wright and Sterner's final analysis. Pareja adds, new statutes, if properly considered, should pay attention to gender, race, and class differences that surfaced in the authors’ study