Except in limited circumstances, children generally do not have a right to inherit anything (real property or personal property) from their parents. Laws do vary from state to state and in some states, for example, the head of a household may be prohibited from leaving the family homestead to anyone other than a surviving spouse or minor child if such person is alive.

And most states have laws that protect children (and sometimes grandchildren) against accidental inheritance in certain limited circumstances. These laws usually apply when a child is born after a parent’s will is executed, and because the will leaves property to the child’s siblings, it appears that the parent did not intend to disinherit the new child. In this circumstance the child who was not mentioned in the will may be eligible to inherit a portion of the estate like the child’s siblings. Such an omitted child is also known as a pretermitted child or a pretermitted heir.

In states with pretermitted child laws, the laws are usually located in the state’s statutes—often in the estates code or probate code.

In Connecticut, children do not have an inherent right to inherit from their parents, except under certain circumstances. Connecticut law, similar to many other states, includes provisions to protect children who may have been unintentionally omitted from a will. Specifically, Connecticut's statutes address the issue of pretermitted heirs, which are children born or adopted after the execution of a will and not mentioned in it. Under Connecticut law, if a child is omitted from a will because they were born or adopted after the will was made, and the will does not provide for any children of the testator, the omitted child may have a right to a share of the estate. This share is typically equivalent to what the child would have received if the parent had died intestate (without a will). However, if the will demonstrates an intention to not provide for the child, or if the child was provided for outside of the will, the protections for pretermitted children may not apply. It's important to consult with an attorney to understand the specific implications of Connecticut's probate laws in such situations.