Intestate succession applies to one who died without a will.

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Intestate succession governs how a decedent’s assets are distributed when there is no valid will. Intestate means dying without a will, so the estate passes to heirs according to state law rather than to beneficiaries named in a will. The key idea is the absence of a will, not where someone lived or whether they were married. Residency outside California or being unmarried do not by themselves create intestacy; a person could die with or without a will regardless of those factors. Therefore, the correct concept is that intestate succession applies to one who died without a will.