When a testator dies intestate, what does it mean?

When a testator dies intestate, it signifies that the individual passed away without a valid will. This can happen for various reasons, such as failing to create a will or having a previously made will that is no longer valid, whether due to revocation or lack of fulfillment of legal requirements. In intestacy scenarios, the distribution of the deceased's estate is governed by state intestacy laws, which typically outline how the assets should be divided among relatives or heirs based on specified hierarchies.

The other choices do not accurately describe the condition of dying intestate. Drafting a will at the time of death does not inherently align with intestacy; it’s about whether a legally recognized will exists. A revoked will indicates that a will was in existence but has been explicitly canceled, leading to intestacy if no new valid will is present. Leaving everything to the state occurs under certain circumstances but is not a universal outcome of dying intestate—it reflects the state’s right to inherit in the absence of heirs. Thus, the definition of dying without a valid will is central to understanding intestate succession.