thanks - another reason why it's always a good idea to have a will :)

That's only if you leave a will and follow the rules - if you die and don't have a will a very large chunk of your estate goes poof, and then there are fees for whoever is appointed by the court to track down 'heirs' - which can include PI fees searching for people.

You do avoid the worst if you die and have a spouse - as they get everything by assumption if they are alive - but kids don't without a will the court has to do it's thing.