§560:2-103 Share of heirs other than surviving spouse or reciprocal beneficiary. Any part of the intestate estate not passing to the decedent's surviving spouse or reciprocal beneficiary under section 560:2-102, or the entire intestate estate if there is no surviving spouse or reciprocal beneficiary, passes in the following order to the individuals designated below who survive the decedent:
(1) To the decedent's descendants by representation;
(2) If there is no surviving descendant, to the decedent's parents equally if both survive, or to the surviving parent; provided, however, if the decedent is a minor, and if it is shown by clear and convincing evidence that any parent has:
(A) Deserted the child without affording means of identification for a period of at least ninety days;
(B) Failed to communicate with the child when able to do so for a period of at least one year when the child is in the custody of another; or
(C) Failed to provide for care and support of the child when able to do so for a period of at least one year when the child is in the custody of another despite a child support order requiring such support;
such parent shall be deemed to have predeceased the decedent;
(3) If there is no surviving descendant or parent entitled to inherit, to the descendants of the decedent's parents or either of them by representation; and
(4) If there is no surviving descendant, parent entitled to take, or descendant of a parent, but the decedent is survived by one or more grandparents or descendants of grandparents, half of the estate passes to the decedent's paternal grandparents equally if both survive, or to the surviving paternal grandparent, or to the descendants of the decedent's paternal grandparents or either of them if both are deceased, the descendants taking by representation; and the other half passes to the decedent's maternal relatives in the same manner; but if there is no surviving grandparent or descendant of a grandparent on either the paternal or the maternal side, the entire estate passes to the decedent's relatives on the other side in the same manner as the half. L 1996, c 288, pt of §1; am L 1997, c 244, §15 and c 383, §19
Rules of Court
Determination of heirs, see HPR rule 73.