Intestacy is a legal term that refers to the situation in which a person dies without having made a valid will. In this case, the deceased's estate is distributed according to the laws of intestate succession in the jurisdiction in which they resided. This means that their assets are distributed to their closest relatives, such as spouses, children, parents, siblings, etc. In some states, if there are no living relatives or if none can be found, then the estate may be passed on to the state.