In a development that really isn’t all that surprising (especially since yours truly has yet to create one, either), former NFL quarterback Steve McNair died without a will.
According to the Associated Press, McNair’s widow has filed paperwork to qualify as the administrator (actually, in legal parlance, it’s “administratrix”) of the estate.
In most states, the death of a person without a will means that his assets are divided between his wife and his children, typically with the wife getting half and the children sharing equally the other half. McNair has four children -- two with his wife and two from a prior relationship.
If McNair had prepared a will, he could have directed his cash, property, real estate holdings, etc., to go to whomever he wanted, in whatever amount he chose.