{"data":{"id":"us-de/12-del.-c.-502","jurisdiction":"us-de","citation":"12 Del. C. § 502","heading":"Share of spouse.","body":"The intestate share of the surviving spouse is:\n(1) If there is no surviving issue or parents of the decedent, the entire intestate estate;\n(2) If there is no surviving issue but the decedent is survived by a parent or parents, the first $50,000 of the intestate personal estate, plus one half of the balance of the intestate personal estate, plus a life estate in the intestate real estate;\n(3) If there are surviving issue all of whom are issue of the surviving spouse also, the first $50,000 of the intestate personal estate, plus one half of the balance of the intestate personal estate, plus a life estate in the intestate real estate;\n(4) If there are surviving issue, one or more of whom are not issue of the surviving spouse, one half of the intestate personal estate, plus a life estate in the intestate real estate.","path":["Title 12. Decedents’ Estates and Fiduciary Relations","Descent and Distribution; Escheat","CHAPTER 5. Intestate Succession"],"source_url":"https://delcode.delaware.gov/title12/c005/index.html#502","current_through":"2026-08-10 (85 Del. Laws, c. 421, 424)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T23:02:15Z","sha256":"91ce175e4b5d8f3acdd1a75277ab06651a24522fb6cf7d8950cb2bb70177555e","source_id":"us-de","stale":true,"prev":"us-de/12-del.-c.-501","next":"us-de/12-del.-c.-503"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}