North Carolina’s intestacy statutes are in Chapter 29 of the General Statutes.  The Administration of Decedent’s Estates (translated into English: How Probate Works) is covered in Chapter 28A.  The law of wills if found in Chapter 31, and trusts are in several sections starting at 36A.  The General Statutes of North Carolina may be viewed for free at http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/Statutes/StatutesTOC.pl.  The estate of someone dying (testate or intestate) is impacted, however, not only by these statutes but also by other areas of North Carolina law, especially debtor-creditor law, tax law (state and federal), family law, and real estate law.  Property in other states may involve the laws of those states as well.  If the person who has died owned a business or was involved in a partnership, as is the case for many of our clients, that further complicates matters.  It is not for the faint-of-heart.