Which laws provide legal rights regarding intestate estates to a surviving spouse?

Dower and courtesy laws are specifically designed to provide legal rights to a surviving spouse concerning property ownership when one partner dies without a will, which is referred to as dying intestate. Under these laws, a surviving spouse is entitled to a certain portion of the deceased spouse's estate, ensuring that they have a financial interest in the property.

Dower laws traditionally grant the widow a life interest in a portion of the deceased husband's estate, while courtesy laws provide similar rights for widowers concerning their deceased wives' estates. These provisions are a crucial aspect of property rights and inheritance, particularly when no explicit instructions are provided through a will.

Other types of laws mentioned, such as equity laws, insolvency laws, and common law, do not specifically address the rights of surviving spouses regarding intestate estates in the same manner that dower and courtesy laws do. Equity laws generally involve fairness in legal proceedings, insolvency laws pertain to debt and financial obligations when individuals or entities face bankruptcy, and common law refers to legal principles developed through court decisions rather than statutes, which do not directly define the share of a surviving spouse in an intestate situation. Thus, dower and courtesy laws are the fundamental legal frameworks providing these rights to surviving spouses.