Heir, << air. >> Technically, an heir is a person who receives money or property that is left by someone who died intestate (without making a will). Legatee or devisee is the legal term for the beneficiary of a will. However, the word heir is commonly used for anyone awarded an estate, whether or not the deceased person left a will.
The word heir comes from a Latin term that means one entitled to inherit. Normally, heirs are the spouse and children or grandchildren of the deceased person. If there are no surviving descendants or spouse, then parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, or other relatives inherit. State laws vary as to who inherits and in what proportions. If there are no surviving heirs, the property goes to the state. This condition is called escheat.
