When someone dies intestate in Colorado, property passes according to statute rather than personal wishes. Portions may go to a surviving spouse, designated beneficiary, descendants, or other relatives depending on who survives. Recent changes modernized intestacy provisions and clarified how the estate is distributed when it does not pass to a spouse or designated beneficiary. Distribution follows a per-capita-at-each-generation method for descendants when applicable. Intestacy can produce results that differ from what blended families expect. These rules are defined in the Colorado Probate Code and recent amendments.