Wills Bar Practice Exam

Half-blood siblings inherit equally alongside whole-blood siblings in most jurisdictions, which means that when a decedent passes away without a will (intestate), all siblings, regardless of whether they are whole-blood or half-blood, have the same rights to the estate. This approach is based on the principle of treating all siblings fairly, regardless of the degree of blood relation.

In many jurisdictions, the laws are designed to avoid discrimination based on blood relationships when it comes to inheritance. Consequently, both half-blood and whole-blood siblings would take an equal share of the intestate property. For example, if there are two whole-blood siblings and one half-blood sibling, the estate would be divided into three equal shares.

This understanding is key in the study of wills and intestate succession, as it reinforces the idea that familial relationships—while varying in terms of biological connection—should not impact the fairness of inheritance rights among siblings.