How are descendants generally defined in the context of intestate succession?

Descendants in the context of intestate succession are typically defined as relatives in a descending line, which includes children, grandchildren, and further down the line to great-grandchildren and so on. This definition is crucial for understanding how property is distributed when an individual dies without a valid will. The law generally prioritizes direct offspring and their descendants to ensure that the deceased's lineage benefits from their estate.

Intestate succession laws are structured around protecting the interests of these direct descendants, recognizing their close familial ties to the deceased. This understanding reflects the principle that family members in the immediate descending line should inherit before more distant relatives, such as siblings or parents, or remote relatives not in a direct line of descent.

The other options present definitions that do not align with this legal framework. For example, relatives in the ascending line would refer to parents and grandparents, which does not fit the definition of descendants in intestate contexts. Similarly, "any relative related by blood" or "family members without regard to generations" would encompass a wider group than just those in the immediate descendant line, which is not how intestate succession operates. Thus, the correct definition of descendants focuses specifically on those in the descending line of kinship.