Heir

An heir is a person who is legally entitled to Inherit a deceased person's Assets, like real estate property, cash, investments, or other personal valuables.

Heirs are most often a deceased person's Surviving Family members, like children, spouses or siblings. They are authorized to receive the assets of the deceased's Estate either by state law or as specified in the deceased's Will.

Heirs are different from Beneficiaries; beneficiaries must be are named in a will or other legal document, whereas heirs may be automatically entitled to assets in accordance with state laws.

In some cases, heirs may also inherit the deceased's Debts or other Liabilities and may be obligated to repay them before any receiving any inheritance.